Türkiye sees strong drone cooperation potential with Japan: Turkish foreign minister

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told Japan's Nikkei Asia that Ankara sees strong potential for defense-industrial cooperation with Tokyo, stressing that joint development of unmanned aerial vehicles and complementary capabilities in anti-drone technologies could offer significant opportunities to both countries.

Defense ties and technology transfer

Fidan highlighted Türkiye's emergence as a major drone producer, noting that Ankara is eager to deepen ties with Tokyo in aviation and unmanned systems. "Türkiye and Japan have complementary capabilities, and we believe there is strong potential for mutually beneficial collaboration," he said, adding that Turkish UAV technologies have proven themselves in different operational environments. The minister also stated that progress had been made in negotiations on a social security agreement between the two countries, expressing hope that an accord could be reached in the near future while emphasizing that broader cooperation potential remains untapped.

Critical minerals and supply chains

Pointing to wider economic opportunities, Fidan said significant potential exists between Türkiye and Japan in energy, digital transformation, aerospace technologies, robotics and resilient supply chains. Addressing critical minerals, he stressed that Ankara's strategic objective extends beyond extraction to producing high-value intermediate and final products. "Strategic objective is not simply extraction, but producing high-value-added intermediate and end products," Fidan said, arguing that cooperation with Japanese technology and investment could create a true win-win partnership. He added that Türkiye stands ready to work closely with Tokyo in this field to develop advanced manufacturing capabilities.

Iran nuclear deal and Hormuz crisis

Commenting on ongoing negotiations between Iran and the US, Fidan said that "both sides want to reach a positive conclusion" and that an agreement is closer than ever. Following the ceasefire reached between the US, Israel and Iran, attention has shifted to the Strait of Hormuz, where a de facto blockade continues to disrupt global shipping. Fidan stated that the Hormuz blockade is "putting too much pressure on both" Washington and Tehran, stressing that "the international impact -- including on energy security, food security, and rising prices -- is immense." He added that the crisis has become a situation that takes priority over the nuclear files in bilateral talks.

Regional stability and NATO summit

Responding to questions about US President Donald Trump's proposal for regional countries to join the Abraham Accords, Fidan noted that Ankara maintained historical and commercial ties with Israel before Oct. 7, 2023. He stressed that trade suspension would only end when Israel stops killing Palestinians and allows Gazans access to basic human needs, adding that Ankara seeks a two-state solution. Asked about statements by Israeli politicians portraying Türkiye as a future strategic threat, Fidan said Israeli domestic politics unfortunately requires an enemy to conduct regional ambitions. He added that everybody knows Israel is not after its security but after more land, and that the international community should prevent Israel from further destabilizing the regional and global order.

Fidan underlined the importance of a broader vision of stability based on a cooperative regional platform, saying all countries should respect each other's territorial integrity, sovereignty and security. He said recent history offered a "golden opportunity" for cooperation among Pakistan, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Gulf states, noting that when things return to normal, Iran should also be part of it and Israel could eventually join if it recognizes a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders. Fidan said Türkiye hopes to host leaders and defense ministers from NATO's Indo-Pacific partners, including Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, at the alliance's summit scheduled for July in Ankara. Asked about the possibility of US President Donald Trump attending, Fidan said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had spoken with Trump several times and that the US president had never indicated he would not attend, adding that all preparations are being made to accommodate him.