Polish President on an Official Visit to Türkiye and Incirlik Air Base
Polish President Karol Nawrocki met in Ankara with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan; he visited the headquarters of Aselsan, a leading manufacturer of defence electronics; he also laid a wreath at the Atatürk Mausoleum. The President also visited the Incirlik Air Base and met with soldiers of the Polish Military Contingent (PKW). The Polish leader paid an official visit to Türkiye.
“Türkiye is one of Poland’s most important partners, a trusted ally in NATO, and a country that plays a vital role in ensuring the security of Europe, in particular the Black Sea region. Together with the President, we discussed the scope of our bilateral cooperation—which is crucially important, friendly, and based on partnership and alliance; we also addressed issues related to geopolitics,” said the Polish President during a press conference following his meeting with his Turkish counterpart.
Karol Nawrocki reported that consultations ahead of the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara, which will be hosted by the Republic of Türkiye, featured importantly in the talks. Discussions also focused on expectations regarding regional formats that are of paramount importance to Poland, namely the Three Seas Initiative—aimed at building infrastructure, economic, and commercial responsibility in Central and Eastern Europe—and the B9 initiative—the Bucharest Nine, which brings together nine countries on NATO’s eastern flank.
– It is impossible to build a credible defence on NATO’s eastern flank without recognizing the enormous potential that Poland brings from the northern direction, including its responsibility for the Baltic Sea, and that Türkiye brings: being NATO’s largest land force in Europe—in the Black Sea region. The upcoming NATO summit—I firmly believe—will demonstrate the political unity and military strength of the North Atlantic Alliance,” said the President of Poland.
President Nawrocki added that direct relations between Poland and Türkiye were among the central issues addressed during today’s meeting: “In terms of volume of trade, the commercial relations between Poland and Türkiye have increased sevenfold. Moreover, it is essential is to demonstrate how strong these relations are, having withstood both the COVID–19 pandemic, and the crisis in the aftermath of the Russian Federation’s attack on Ukraine, as well as the reality of war currently raging along our eastern border,” he assessed.
The President of Poland also emphasized the importance of the countries’ cooperation with regards to defence capabilities, the defence industries, newly signed contracts, as well as further opportunities for cooperation opening for these industries. He went on to note that soldiers from the Polish contingent in Türkiye use Turkish Bayraktar unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and that Turkish soldiers are stationed in Poland.
Earlier, the President of Poland visited the headquarters of Aselsan, a manufacturer offering solutions across a wide range of fields, from submarine to space.
Last December, an agreement was signed between the State Treasury—the Armaments Agency—and ASELSAN Elektronik Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. for the delivery of an Automated Reconnaissance and Jamming System designed for electronic warfare. The contract is worth approximately 2 billion PLN. Deliveries of the system will have be completed by 2035.
In the morning, the President of Poland laid a wreath at the Atatürk Mausoleum, the final resting place of the founder of the Republic of Türkiye and its first President. In accordance with Turkish state protocol, all foreign and national delegations lay wreaths in the colours of the Turkish flag—red and white – at the Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Mausoleum.
On Wednesday, the President of Poland paid a visit to the Incirlik Air Base and met with soldiers of the Polish Military Contingent (PKW) in Türkiye. During his visit to the military base, Karol Nawrocki watched a demonstration of Bayraktar drones in operation.
The visit is a result of the Polish Armed Forces’ commitment to ensuring security and stability in the Middle East and Mediterranean regions, and the significance of their contribution. The main tasks of the contingent include conducting patrol and reconnaissance operations and sharing intelligence data with NATO on an ongoing basis. This substantially strengthens the allies’ collective defence and situational awareness.
