Istanbul / July 23, 2025

The American Turkish Business Roundtable (ATBR), in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Türkiye-U.S. Business Council (TAIK), organized a defense and aerospace business meeting in Istanbul alongside the 17th International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF). The event convened more than 40 leading Turkish and American companies, creating a platform to discuss opportunities for collaboration and to strengthen transatlantic ties in the defense and aerospace sectors.

We were honored to welcome Turkish Deputy Defense Minister Bilal Durdalı and U.S. Embassy Ankara Chargé d’Affaires Michael Goldman as distinguished guests of honor. ATBR leadership was represented at the highest level, with Chairman General James Jones and Vice Chair General Tod Wolters joining the discussions and engaging directly with industry representatives.

This important gathering underscored the shared commitment of Türkiye and the United States to advancing defense industry cooperation and fostering business partnerships. We would also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to our sponsors, Kale Aero and Lockheed Martin, whose support made this event possible.