Full Breakdown
Turkey Delivers First Warship Export to NATO/EU Member Romania
6/21/2026, 8:25:49 AM
Milestone Export
On Saturday, Turkey delivered the offshore patrol vessel CAm. Roman to the Romanian Naval Forces in Istanbul and commissioned the Turkish OPV TCG Kochisar. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the sale marks the first export of a Turkish-built warship to a NATO and EU member.
Historical Context
Turkey’s 103-year-old naval shipbuilding sector has never before sold a warship to a NATO/EU ally. The deal follows a strategic partnership with Romania launched in 2011 and deepened by the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council created in 2024, underscoring Ankara’s drive to grow defence exports despite sanctions.
Key Actors
The ceremony featured President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Romanian President Nicusor Dan, the Turkish and Romanian Naval Forces Commands, and Turkish defence firms ASELSAN, ROKETSAN, HAVELSAN, Makine Kimya and TÜBITAK, which supplied combat systems, radars, sonar and close-in weapons.
Data & Statistics
Turkey ranks as the world’s 11th-largest defence exporter, with $996 million in defence and aerospace sales recorded last month. It has exported over 140 naval platforms, is building more than 50 warships—over 15 for allies—with domestic content above 80 %. Ongoing naval projects total about $28 billion (€25 billion).
Strategic Significance
Erdogan said the CAm. Roman and TCG Kochisar will boost the security of Turkey and Romania, reinforce NATO’s Black Sea presence and support regional stability. He also noted trilateral cooperation with Bulgaria on naval-mine countermeasures, reflecting a coordinated maritime defence posture.
Official Statements
President Erdogan called the deal a milestone for Turkey’s defence industry, emphasizing domestic warship production and the intent to share capabilities with allies. He linked the export to a vision of a “Greater and Stronger Türkiye” and stressed that Turkey seeks peace, justice and stability, not tension. Romanian President Nicusor Dan’s attendance signalled Bucharest’s support for the partnership.
Verbatim Quotes
- “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,” — President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
- “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,” — President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
- “He said Türkiye is among the countries capable of constructing the highest number of warships simultaneously.” — President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
- “The CAm. Roman corvette is the clearest manifestation of the determination of two allied countries to jointly build the security of the Black Sea and our region,” — President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Outlook
The ceremony ended with flag-raising of the new vessels. Turkey intends to keep delivering warships to allies, deepen trilateral naval cooperation with Romania and Bulgaria, and complete the $28 billion of naval projects in the coming years.
