KUTSO Launches Drive to Integrate Kütahya into Türkiye’s Domestic and National Defence Industry “It Is Time to Build an Ecosystem in Which All Our Companies, Large and Small, Can Succeed”

Esin Güral Argat, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Kütahya Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KUTSO), highlighted the importance of an inclusive development approach for the growth of Kütahya’s economy—one that is not confined to specific sectors or clusters, but instead strengthens all companies and SMEs. Stating that one of the most tangible steps towards this goal is integration into Türkiye’s domestic and national defence industry ecosystem, which has attracted global attention through its achievements, Esin Güral Argat said that high-level consultations had been held on the matter and that efforts were continuing.

Esin Güral Argat, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Kütahya Chamber of Commerce and Industry, emphasised that sectoral diversification is critical to the growth of Kütahya’s economy. Noting that more than 75 per cent of Kütahya’s exports and production are generated by mineral-based industries such as ceramics, cement and glass, Esin Güral Argat stated that growth would only be possible by attracting new sectors and enabling businesses of all sizes to participate in that growth.

“We Need to Learn How to Fish”

Emphasising that Kütahya’s development cannot be confined to a narrow framework, Esin Güral Argat said:

“Kütahya’s economy must grow. However, this growth cannot rest on the shoulders of a single sector or a single cluster, nor can it be limited to the success of a handful of large companies. Until now, the strength of this city has rested on just a few pillars. From this point forward, we need both to deepen that strength and to diversify it. As KUTSO, our objective is to build an ecosystem, without confining ourselves to a narrow framework, in which all our stakeholder companies that contribute to the city’s economy—large and small alike—can succeed together.

Eating fish is all well and good, but from now on we need to learn how to fish together. In other words, rather than simply providing support to individual companies, it is important that we collectively build a structure in which businesses of every size can produce, compete and grow through their own capabilities. We can advance Kütahya’s development through a strong and resilient ecosystem encompassing more sectors, standing on more pillars, not dependent on any single branch, and involving a broader range of stakeholders.”

“We Must Become Part of the Defence Industry Ecosystem”

Stating that KUTSO believes new sectoral initiatives are necessary to transform Kütahya’s potential into tangible results, Esin Güral Argat said that foremost among these is integration into Türkiye’s domestic and national defence industry ecosystem, which has attracted worldwide attention through its achievements.

Esin Güral Argat said:

“Kütahya is located at the very intersection of major industrial centres such as Bursa, Eskişehir, Balıkesir and Manisa. We have Zafer Airport, while our logistics integration is developing rapidly through road and railway projects. At the same time, we have decades of accumulated manufacturing expertise in machinery production, casting, metalworking, the automotive supply industry, chemicals, mining and refractories.

We also possess a strong resource base rich in boron, lignite and magnesite, all of which are of critical importance both in Türkiye and globally. A significant proportion of the capabilities required by the defence industry already exist in this city. The issue is not to build an industry from scratch, but to connect our existing capabilities to the right opportunities. Given all these advantages, there is no reason why an industry that has already reached Eskişehir should not also come to Kütahya.”

“An Important Window of Opportunity Is Opening for Our SMEs”

Pointing to a strong international trend towards ensuring that increasing defence budgets benefit not only major prime contractors but also SMEs and emerging technology ventures, Esin Güral Argat said:

“Within NATO, important steps have recently been taken with the aim of opening procurement processes to companies of all sizes and facilitating access to the system for SMEs and innovative businesses operating outside the traditional defence industry. When Ankara’s approach to strengthening the domestic supply chain is considered alongside the support provided by the Presidency of Defence Industries for investment, skilled employment and capacity building, an important window of opportunity is opening for our capable SMEs in Kütahya.

Our responsibility is to prepare our companies to meet the necessary quality, certification and production standards, thereby enabling them to secure a share of these growing budgets and supply chains.”

High-Level Consultations Held

Stating that high-level consultations had recently been undertaken as part of efforts to bring the defence industry to the city, Esin Güral Argat said:

“We had the opportunity to discuss directly with our President the objective of bringing the defence industry to our city and integrating Kütahya’s manufacturing strength into this strategic sector. Subsequently, in recent weeks, we personally visited the President of the Presidency of Defence Industries and held comprehensive discussions in pursuit of this objective.

During our meetings, we provided detailed information on Kütahya’s strong industrial infrastructure, skilled human resources, logistical advantages and manufacturing capabilities. We shared our assessment that our city has the potential to become an important manufacturing centre capable of contributing to the defence industry.

As KUTSO, we are not limiting this process to meetings alone. We continue our engagement with the relevant institutions and organisations and will intensify our efforts in the period ahead to ensure that Kütahya secures a stronger position within the defence industry ecosystem.”

“The Whole of Kütahya Will Benefit”

Esin Güral Argat, who stated, “We are working to make Kütahya a city that manufactures through technology,” concluded her remarks as follows:

“As KUTSO, we are pursuing a vision of increasing the share of medium-high and high-technology products in our exports. The defence industry lies at the very heart of this objective. Today, this sector is not merely about defence; it represents engineering capabilities, advanced materials, software and a highly skilled workforce.

When a city becomes part of this supply chain, it does not simply secure new business opportunities; its quality standards, certification discipline and technological capabilities also advance. We are talking about a sector that generates high added value and skilled employment while helping our young people build their futures here in Kütahya. We believe this is where the real benefit for Kütahya lies.

On this journey, it will not be a single sector or a single company that succeeds—the whole of Kütahya will benefit. We will continue to develop projects focused on regional development, conduct consultations with all our stakeholders, and support our companies in transforming this potential into tangible results.”

News: KUTSO Press Office