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Speaking at a press conference following the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that he and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed potential naval shipbuilding cooperation, specifically targeting the joint production of frigates, corvettes, and submarines.
When asked if President Donald Trump had provided a concrete timeline or assurances regarding the lifting of CAATSA sanctions, President Erdogan declined to give a specific date but emphasized their mutual agreement to move forward.
"I won't give a timeline, but Trump and I agreed on this," Erdogan stated. "We discussed working together, particularly in the defense industry and the economy, with Türkiye even taking steps toward assisting the United States in defense manufacturing."
Elaborating on the potential for maritime cooperation, Erdogan added, "What could that look like in the defense industry? We specifically discussed the shipbuilding sector, and Allah willing, we will take rapid steps. This could involve frigates, corvettes, or submarines—we covered it all. Türkiye is fully capable of executing this in its own shipyards."
Erdogan also termed the NATO Ankara summit a major success, offering his congratulations to the organizers for a well-coordinated event.
Quoting officials who spoke to the outlet, Middle East Eye (MEE) earlier reported that Türkiye and the United States have been holding talks since last year on naval shipbuilding cooperation, as the U.S. Navy seeks to expand its fleet amid growing competition with China.
According to MEE, Ankara has emerged as a naval powerhouse in recent years, with shipyards capable of producing more than 30 ships simultaneously for the Turkish and Pakistani navies.
Officials told MEE that U.S. representatives explored whether Türkiye could supply ship components, while discussions also floated the possibility of Ankara helping the U.S. Navy build additional frigates.
The Trump administration wants to both revive U.S. shipbuilding and enlarge the Navy's fleet, and has so far leaned on Asian allies Japan and South Korea for expertise after decades of U.S. underinvestment, MEE reported, citing South Korea's Hanwha Group, which purchased Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia for $100 million in December 2024.
In February, when asked by Türkiye Today, Türkiye's Ministry of National Defense (MoND) denied reports of a joint naval shipbuilding venture with the United States.
While acknowledging that "many cooperation activities" are currently underway with its NATO ally, the ministry clarified that "there is no work in the field of joint shipbuilding."
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