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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with his Romanian counterpart Nicusor Dan in Istanbul on Saturday, hours after Türkiye delivered an offshore patrol vessel to Romania's navy in what Erdogan called the first-ever export of a Turkish-built warship to a NATO and European Union member country.
The leaders' meeting took place at the Istanbul Shipyard Command following the handover of the vessel, known as the TCG Akhisar or OPV "Cam. Roman," to the Romanian Naval Forces Command, the Turkish Presidency said.
According to the Turkish Communications Directorate, Erdogan and Dan discussed bilateral relations as well as regional and global developments.
The vessel delivery came at a ceremony where Erdogan also oversaw the commissioning of the Turkish Navy's own offshore patrol vessel, TCG Kochisar, a sister ship built at the same shipyard by the same engineering teams.
"With the sales agreement we signed with Romania, Türkiye exports a warship to a NATO and EU member country for the first time in its history," Erdogan said.
During the closed-door meeting, Erdogan told Dan that Türkiye places importance on expanding cooperation with Romania in trade, defense and security, and would continue working to strengthen bilateral ties, the Communications Directorate said.
He also stressed the importance of close coordination with Romania on Black Sea security, saying Ankara is working with other countries bordering the sea to preserve regional stability.
Erdogan further said Türkiye is making intensive efforts to ensure that momentum toward peace involving Iran also contributes to ending the Russia-Ukraine war.
The meeting was also attended by Turkish National Defense Minister Yasar Guler, Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci, Chief of the General Staff Gen. Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, Communications Director Burhanettin Duran, and the president's chief security and foreign policy adviser, Ambassador Akif Cagatay Kilic.
At the earlier ceremony, Erdogan placed the warship deal within what he described as a period of sweeping global transformation.
"We are in the middle of an extremely chaotic period where those who are not strong on the ground cannot find a place at the table and may even find themselves on the menu," he said, adding that Türkiye recognized this shift early and "interpreted it in the most accurate way."
He said the country's defense industry has driven his vision of a "Greater and Stronger Türkiye" over the past 23 years, despite sanctions, restrictions and embargoes.
According to Erdogan, Türkiye is now the world's 11th-largest defense exporter and posted a record $996 million in defense and aerospace exports last month.
The president said Türkiye's naval shipbuilding sector is experiencing its most productive period in the republic's 103-year history, having exported more than 140 naval platforms globally.
"Türkiye is among the countries capable of constructing the highest number of warships simultaneously," he said.
Erdogan said the country is currently building more than 50 warships, including over 15 for allied and partner nations, with platforms ranging from aircraft carriers and air defense destroyers to frigates, offshore patrol vessels, landing ships and submarines averaging more than 80% domestic content.
He added that unmanned naval vehicle projects are also underway, with the total value of ongoing naval programs reaching roughly $28 billion, or about 25 billion euros.
Erdogan said deepening cooperation among allies has become increasingly necessary amid global instability.
"The world's difficult security environment makes it essential for friends and allies to strengthen their cooperation," he said, adding that Türkiye sees it as a duty to share its defense capabilities with partner nations.
He described relations between Türkiye and Romania as being at their strongest point, recalling that the two countries elevated ties to a strategic partnership in 2011 and further institutionalized cooperation through a High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council established in 2024.
The newly delivered corvette, he said, was "the clearest manifestation of the determination of two allied countries to jointly build the security of the Black Sea and our region."
Erdogan also pointed to trilateral cooperation between Türkiye, Romania and Bulgaria on countering naval mines in the Black Sea.
He said the vessels' combat management systems, radars, sonar and close-in weapon systems were developed domestically by Turkish defense firms including ASELSAN, ROKETSAN, HAVELSAN, Makine Kimya and TUBITAK, and said testing and training had demonstrated the reliability of Turkish-built naval platforms.
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Erdogan closed his remarks by saying Türkiye's regional aims were rooted in stability rather than confrontation. "Türkiye's aim is not to generate tensions in our region but to strengthen peace, justice, tranquility and stability," he said.
"We are not seeking crises, chaos, conflict or confrontation with anyone. We favor strong cooperation based on mutual respect."
He added that Türkiye does not seek influence over the sovereignty or territory of other nations but would defend its own.
"We will never allow anyone to threaten our sovereignty, endanger our country, or harm our interests," he said.
The ceremony concluded with Erdogan and Dan presenting flags, commissioning certificates and pennants to the ships' commanders after inspecting an honor guard.
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