Poland Looks to Türkiye as Defense Industry Model

Polish Deputy Prime Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz announced that Poland is looking to Türkiye as a model for rapidly expanding its domestic defense capabilities. Speaking at an international defense fair in Kielce, he praised the nation’s 20-year transformation, noting that Türkiye “now produces 80 percent of its military equipment domestically.” Driven by the security threats of the ongoing war in Ukraine, Poland aims to shift from being merely a weapons buyer to a major producer to increase its current 50 percent domestic production rate. While showcasing a newly developed Polish 40-ton armored vehicle, Kosiniak-Kamysz stressed the government’s commitment to military modernization, stating, “We assume full responsibility for building a strong and secure Poland.” Urging national resilience in a dangerous era, he concluded, “Let us believe in our own strength and build it, because only the strong want to defend themselves.”