Polish president visits Turkish defense stands at MSPO 2026

Polish President Karol Nawrocki visited the stands of Türkiye's Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) and defense company Aselsan at the MSPO 2026 defense exhibition in Kielce. SSB President Haluk Gorgun accompanied him during the tour and briefed the Polish leader on the capabilities of Türkiye's defense sector and ongoing cooperation between the two NATO allies, according to an SSB statement. Gorgun highlighted the strong resolve and shared vision demonstrated by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Nawrocki on bilateral relations in a social media post following the visit, underscoring both countries' commitment to expanding defense industry collaboration.

Talks with British and Polish officials

On the sidelines of the exhibition, Gorgun held talks with UK Minister for Defense Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard, Polish Deputy Minister of State Assets Konrad Golota, Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, and Bartosz Grodecki, head of Poland’s National Security Bureau. The meetings focused on joint production, technology transfer and localization models involving Turkish and Polish defense firms, as well as opportunities for Turkish companies to participate in UK defense procurement initiatives.

Gorgun told Pollard that "Building on our NATO alliance, we will continue to bring our respective capabilities together in new projects," according to the statement. He also discussed potential joint production and localization models with Golota, adding: "We will continue our engagements to bring our respective capabilities together through long-term industrial partnerships and new projects."

Bilateral cooperation framework

In his meeting with Kosiniak-Kamysz, Gorgun discussed steps to deepen existing defense industry cooperation between Ankara and Warsaw, emphasizing the centuries-old relations between the two countries and their shared NATO membership. "Building on the historical foundation created by our centuries-old relations and the strong framework provided by our NATO alliance, we will continue to advance our engagement through concrete projects," he said.