BRUSSELS

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Belgium's Defense Minister Theo Francken on Thursday highlighted the strength of Türkiye's defense industry at the European Defence Exhibition & Conference (BEDEX) in Brussels, calling for avoiding exclusionary approaches and urging allies to act together swiftly and in a coordinated manner.

Speaking during a session at BEDEX alongside Francken, Rutte said the exhibition demonstrated that Belgium's defense industrial base is strong and continuing to grow.

Addressing the needs of the defense sector, Rutte called on companies to be prepared and invest in supply chains.

"Please be ready. That means we need to invest in your supply chain. Invest in extra ships, invest in extra factories," he said.

Rutte also stressed the need for faster action, pointing to the rapid depletion of military stockpiles.

"You see how quickly we can go through our stockpiles. Look at the Middle East. Look at Ukraine. And we have to replenish," he said.

Emphasizing the importance of cooperation among allies, he noted that around 3,000 defense companies in Türkiye work with partners in Europe and the United States.

He added that treating the US as separate from Europe is an "old-school" approach. "We really have to do it together: interdependency, speed, and being ready."

Call to avoid exclusionary approaches

Francken also underlined the importance of strategic autonomy while warning against excluding key partners.

"I think that strategic autonomy is very important. That's key. But for me, it doesn't mean that we need to push out the Americans or the Canadians, or the Turks, or the people from Norway or the UK," he said.

Francken said the European Union must do more to strengthen its conventional defense capabilities and increase defense spending.

While Belgium does not have large defense companies like Germany or France, Francken said the country has a centuries-long tradition of investment in arms and defense industries.

He added that significant progress has been made in securing financing for the sector.

"Now defense is hot. The defense industry is hot," the minister said, stressing the importance of organizing exhibitions and forums where entrepreneurs and industry representatives can meet and build networks.

According to Francken, Belgium currently has around 80 defense companies.

"I want, in five years, to double it. We need 160-200 companies in Belgium in four or five years in the defense industry. And that is a challenge, but we're working on it very well," he stressed.

Francken also highlighted the need for economic returns from defense spending.

"We cannot just sign a contract and have all the jobs in France and have all the jobs in the (United) States. We need jobs here. It's a lot of money. It's taxpayers' money. It's not my money... So we also need economic return, and that we can have in our defense industry," he said.

BEDEX showcases defense technologies, security solutions, and military equipment, with numerous international defense companies presenting their products and systems.

Conferences and panels held as part of the event focus on transformation in the defense industry, emerging technologies, supply chain security, and international cooperation.

Turkish major defense manufacturer Aselsan Deputy General Manager Ozgur Taylan Sari is scheduled to speak at a panel titled "Transformation of Industrial Global Defense Landscape."

The three-day event aims to create new cooperation opportunities between the European defense industry and international companies while bringing together sector representatives, public officials, and experts.