Estonia and Turkey Deepen Defense Ties with New Ammunition Factory Deal
Estonian Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur met with Turkish Minister of National Defence Yaşar Güler in Istanbul to strengthen bilateral defense cooperation and discuss NATO unity. A key outcome of the visit was the signing of an agreement with ARCA Baltics Operations, a subsidiary of Turkish defense group ARCA Defense, to establish a large-caliber ammunition factory in Estonia’s North Kiviõli Industrial Park. The facility, scheduled to begin production in 2028, will focus on 155 mm artillery shells for European and US markets, involving a 300 million euro investment and creating up to 1,000 jobs. The Estonian state will support the project with infrastructure investments. During the talks, Pevkur emphasized the importance of NATO cohesion, noting Estonia’s achievement of the 5 percent defense spending target and welcoming Turkey’s upcoming participation in Baltic Air Policing. Both ministers reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The meeting also included discussions with major Turkish defense industry leaders at the SAHA EXPO fair, highlighting successful past collaborations such as armored vehicle procurements.
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Estonia and Turkey Deepen Defense Ties with New Ammunition Factory Deal
Estonian Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur met with Turkish Minister of National Defence Yaşar Güler in Istanbul to strengthen bilateral defense cooperation and discuss NATO unity. A key outcome of the visit was the signing of an agreement with ARCA Baltics Operations, a subsidiary of Turkish defense group ARCA Defense, to establish a large-caliber ammunition factory in Estonia’s North Kiviõli Industrial Park. The facility, scheduled to begin production in 2028, will focus on 155 mm artillery shells for European and US markets, involving a 300 million euro investment and creating up to 1,000 jobs. The Estonian state will support the project with infrastructure investments. During the talks, Pevkur emphasized the importance of NATO cohesion, noting Estonia’s achievement of the 5 percent defense spending target and welcoming Turkey’s upcoming participation in Baltic Air Policing. Both ministers reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The meeting also included discussions with major Turkish defense industry leaders at the SAHA EXPO fair, highlighting successful past collaborations such as armored vehicle procurements.
The Baltic Times