Overview

• President Erdogan announced plans to expand production of medium- and long-range missiles to raise Turkey’s stockpiles to deterrence levels.
• Analysts warn the move could trigger a regional arms race even though they see little risk of the Israel-Iran war spilling into NATO-member Turkey.
• Turkey’s defense industry has advanced in drones, fighter jets, armored vehicles and naval vessels but still trails in air defense compared with Israel and the United States.
• Erdogan has held talks with US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian offering to facilitate negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program.
• Turkey faces potential energy supply disruptions and refugee flows due to its reliance on Iranian imports and a 560-kilometer shared border.