South Korea and Türkiye Turn Wartime Brotherhood Into a Broader Defense Partnership

Ankara Summit Sets a Wider Agenda

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's November 2025 state visit to Ankara, the first by a Korean leader in thirteen years, gave South Korea and Türkiye a practical agenda for a relationship built on shared wartime sacrifice. Meeting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Lee sought to expand cooperation in defense production, nuclear energy, infrastructure and support for veterans.

The leaders adopted a joint statement titled "A legacy of brotherhood, a vision for the future," looking toward the seventieth anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2027. Their agenda linked established military projects, including Türkiye's Altay main battle tank, with proposals for more joint production, technology exchange and training.

The relationship already has substantial economic weight. Bilateral trade reached a record $10.4 billion in 2023, while more than 200 Korean companies have invested approximately $4.6 billion directly in Türkiye. Those business connections provide an industrial foundation for projects that require years of cooperation between companies, engineers and governments.

For Seoul, Türkiye offers a bridge between Europe and Asia and extensive trading connections across the Middle East and Africa. For Ankara, South Korea offers advanced military technology and an example of rapid industrial development. Both countries want more choices in their suppliers and partners as competition among major powers, restrictions on technology access and political pressures on supply chains grow.

As of March 11, 2026, the central task is turning this wider agenda into working arrangements. The Altay project shows what industrial cooperation can produce; the proposed nuclear partnership at Sinop shows how much remains to be negotiated before an ambitious plan becomes a construction contract.

The Wartime Bond Behind the Partnership

Türkiye sent more than 21,000 troops to Korea as part of United Nations forces during the Korean War. Its contribution was the fourth largest, after those of the United States, Britain and Canada. Turkish soldiers fought in fierce engagements and earned a reputation for courage and determination that remains part of Korean military memory.

The war claimed the lives of 721 Turkish soldiers. Of them, 462 are buried at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan, where veterans and officials from both countries continue to attend annual commemorations. Their sacrifice is the basis of the description of South Korea and Türkiye as "blood brothers," a bond that has endured for more than seven decades.

Türkiye was the tenth country to recognize the government of the Republic of Korea in 1949. It was also the third to establish a permanent embassy in Seoul, after the United States and the Republic of China. Those early commitments created diplomatic institutions that continued through political changes in both countries.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun has described the Korean War legacy as the foundation of deep trust and friendship between the two countries. That goodwill has helped the relationship withstand geopolitical shifts and creates a favorable setting for military partnerships, where governments must share sensitive knowledge and depend on one another over long periods.

Lee reinforced that personal connection during his visit to Korean Park in Ankara, a memorial funded by Hyundai Motor. He laid wreaths alongside four Turkish veterans and thirteen family members of fallen soldiers. Agreements signed during the visit also honored Turkish veterans of the 1950-53 conflict and promoted exchanges between veterans associations and descendants.

How the Defense Industries Fit Together

South Korea has spent the past two decades developing from a country dependent on foreign weapons suppliers into a producer and exporter of advanced military equipment. Its strengths include armored vehicles, artillery able to move under its own power, naval vessels, fighter aircraft and integrated combat systems.

Korean companies have particular experience in connecting separate military technologies into a working whole. Systems integration means making equipment such as radar, missiles, electronic warfare tools and command networks operate together, so forces can detect a threat, share information and respond through a coordinated structure.

Türkiye has pursued greater independence in defense production through unmanned aerial systems, missile development and its TFX program for a new generation of fighter aircraft. Turkish advances in drones and precision weapons have influenced regional military calculations. Its defense exports exceeded $10 billion for the first time in 2024.

Ankara's commissioning of TCG Anadolu, a multipurpose amphibious assault ship, also reflects expanding maritime ambitions. Such a vessel operates as part of a larger naval force. Modern destroyers providing air defense, frigates with integrated combat systems and submarines designed to operate discreetly are relevant to the supporting fleet Türkiye needs.

South Korean shipyards bring experience in advanced shipbuilding, Aegis equipped destroyers, sophisticated amphibious vessels and submarines with air independent propulsion. That propulsion technology allows submarines to operate underwater without relying on a continuous supply of outside air. Korean heavy ground equipment and naval systems could complement Turkish drones and missiles.

Cooperation therefore has a wider purpose than selling finished weapons. Producing equipment together and sharing selected technology can help Türkiye expand domestic manufacturing while giving Korean companies lasting industrial partnerships. Both countries are seeking resilient supply chains and independent defense capabilities through carefully chosen cooperation.

Altay Provides a Practical Model

Hyundai Rotem's participation in the Altay main battle tank program is the most visible example of this industrial relationship. The Korean contractor has supplied technical support and assistance for Turkish tank production, helping provide the foundations for a complex domestic manufacturing project.

The Altay experience illustrates how an overseas partner can support local production capacity. It also provides a model for future projects in which the two countries combine technical knowledge, manufacturing and longer term support rather than limiting cooperation to the delivery of finished equipment.

South Korea has also exported K9 artillery systems to Türkiye and Egypt. These weapons, which can move under their own power, form part of Seoul's record of supplying heavy military equipment to the region. Existing projects give both governments practical experience to draw on when considering more demanding cooperation.

Before arriving in Ankara, Lee explained his view of Türkiye's place in that relationship in an interview. The South Korean president described a partnership based on shared investment and innovation:

Türkiye is a strategic partner for Korea and an important hub in the Eurasian region. For Korea, Türkiye is not simply a production site. It is a strategic partner with whom we seek to innovate, invest and compete globally.

Korean defense cooperation places weight on technology collaboration and lasting industrial integration. That approach fits Türkiye's goal of developing its own capabilities through selected partnerships while reducing dependence on outside suppliers. The ambition is to connect industrial capacity without giving up control over national defense systems.

A Visit Within a Wider Diplomatic Push

Lee made Türkiye the final destination of a November 2025 trip that also included the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and participation in the G20 summit in South Africa. The itinerary reflected Seoul's effort to broaden its presence across the Middle East and Africa, with Ankara given a prominent place in that outreach.

Lee and Erdogan met twice that week. Before their Ankara summit, they had attended a gathering of MIKTA, the consultative group comprising Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea, Türkiye and Australia. Their bilateral talks connected that wider diplomatic engagement with specific industrial and security projects.

The leaders pledged to deepen their strategic partnership and support peace, stability and prosperity across Asia, Europe and beyond. They reaffirmed support for the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, meaning the removal of nuclear weapons there, and agreed to expand cooperation through the United Nations, the Group of 20 and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The relationship has developed through several important stages:

• 1949: Türkiye recognized the government of the Republic of Korea.
• 1950-53: Turkish troops served with United Nations forces during the Korean War, with 721 Turkish soldiers killed.
• 2013: The bilateral free trade agreement entered into force.
• 2023: Bilateral trade reached a record $10.4 billion.
• 2024: Türkiye's defense exports exceeded $10 billion for the first time.
• November 2025: Lee visited Ankara and agreed with Erdogan to broaden cooperation.
• 2027: The two countries will mark seventy years of diplomatic relations.

Sinop Nuclear Talks and Infrastructure Plans

Korea Electric Power Corporation and the Nuclear Energy Corporation of Türkiye signed a memorandum of understanding during Lee's visit. The agreement sets a framework for cooperation aimed at Türkiye's planned second nuclear power plant at Sinop, on the Black Sea coast.

The framework covers technology, evaluation of the site, licensing procedures and financial packages. A memorandum of understanding records an intention to cooperate and the areas to be discussed. Seoul hopes it will become a step toward winning the construction contract, allowing Korean companies to contribute nuclear technology and experience in safe operation.

The Sinop construction contract was still an objective of the cooperation framework, with no award date given. Site suitability, permission to build and the financial arrangements are central parts of the work described in the agreement.

Korea Expressway Corporation and Türkiye's General Directorate of Highways also reached agreements opening opportunities for joint infrastructure projects in other countries across the Middle East and Eurasia. Working together outside their own markets would extend the relationship from bilateral investment into cooperation serving additional customers.

These civilian projects sit alongside established Korean investments involving Hyundai Motor Group, POSCO, Samsung and LG. Manufacturing facilities and infrastructure work have already given businesses in both countries experience of working together, making the proposed expansion into more complex sectors a continuation of existing industrial connections.

Trade and Investment Supply the Foundation

The free trade agreement that took effect in 2013 helped support bilateral commerce. Trade subsequently increased by more than one and a half times, reaching $10.4 billion in 2023. Automobiles, electronics, construction and materials are among the sectors linking the two economies.

Korean companies began building a substantial manufacturing presence in Türkiye in the mid 1980s. Hyundai Motor Company started exporting vehicles there in 1990 and constructed an automobile factory in Izmit in 1995. Samsung Electronics worked with local partners to manufacture color televisions and video equipment, while POSCO and LG established industrial facilities.

More than 200 Korean companies have contributed approximately $4.6 billion in direct investment. Those commitments have developed business familiarity, connected supply chains and established working relationships between engineers and firms. Defense and nuclear projects can draw on that experience, although their technical demands and government involvement are different.

Both governments recognize a persistent imbalance in trade, with export values favoring South Korea. Lee explained during his visit that much of Korea's export growth consists of capital goods and intermediate inputs supporting Turkish manufacturing. Capital goods are equipment used to make products, while intermediate inputs are components and materials used during production.

Türkiye's expanding production and exports have increased demand for those goods. The trade relationship therefore includes Korean supplies used by Turkish industry, alongside the imbalance that the two governments want to address.

Middle Powers Seek More Room to Act

South Korea and Türkiye are middle powers: neither is a superpower, but both have substantial industrial capacity, diplomatic networks and strategic geography. Both maintain alliances while pursuing independent interests, and both seek greater resilience by diversifying partnerships.

For Seoul, Ankara is a Muslim majority democracy positioned across European and Asian markets, with trading networks extending into the Middle East and Africa. For Türkiye, South Korea represents a source of advanced technology without the political conditions associated with Western suppliers. Those interests help explain the appeal of closer defense cooperation.

MIKTA gives the two countries another channel for coordination. Rather than operating as a bloc centered on military security, the five members consult on global governance, economic stability and development. South Korea and Türkiye use the group alongside bilateral discussions to coordinate on subjects including resilient supply chains and rules for artificial intelligence.

Cho has explained that Seoul does not approach relations with the United States and China as a simple balancing exercise. Its approach considers national interests across several areas, including cooperation with Washington on advanced technologies and pragmatic relations with Beijing.

Türkiye's position between Europe, the Middle East and Eurasia is relevant as Korean companies seek alternatives to concentrated manufacturing bases. Combining Korean heavy equipment and naval technology with Turkish drones and missiles could support joint production for markets in the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia.

The broader strategic aim is flexibility. By cooperating, the two countries seek to maintain independent defense capabilities, support regional stability and contribute to collective security without organizing every decision around opposing blocs led by the largest powers.

Travel, Culture and the Human Connection

South Korea has streamlined visa application processes for Turkish citizens through group submissions and expanded language support to include Turkish. It has also extended electronic travel authorization validity to three years. Travelers under seventeen and those over sixty-five are exempt from the electronic travel authorization requirement.

Cultural interest runs in both directions. Korean culture is attracting growing attention in Türkiye, while Turkish cuisine and art are gaining popularity in South Korea. These exchanges create wider public support for a relationship that otherwise might appear centered on factories, weapons and diplomatic meetings.

The veterans agreements bring younger generations into the wartime connection through exchanges involving descendants. Alongside commemorations in Busan and Lee's visit to Korean Park in Ankara, they connect current cooperation to the people whose service first gave the relationship its unusual emotional strength.

Projects Proposed for the Next Stage

South Korea and Türkiye are looking beyond existing equipment programs toward possible joint development of a new generation of systems. Areas identified include the KF21 multirole fighter, missile systems designed to intercept airborne threats at long distances, and integrated unmanned platforms. A multirole fighter is an aircraft designed to carry out different kinds of missions.

The leaders committed to connecting unmanned systems with conventional military platforms and supporting joint innovation in emerging technologies. Combining drones with crewed equipment and shared command systems would build on the strengths each country already brings to the partnership.

Biotechnology, renewable energy and artificial intelligence are also on the wider cooperation agenda. The two countries are exploring collaboration on the UAE Stargate project and similar initiatives combining Korean infrastructure capabilities with Türkiye's geographic position.

Regional diplomacy remains part of the relationship. Seoul values partners that support peace and coexistence on the Korean Peninsula. Ankara appreciates South Korea's consistent position on respect for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The seventieth anniversary in 2027 provides the next stated milestone for the partnership. The ambition reaches into the 2030s: converting trust formed during the Korean War into shared technological development and security cooperation. Existing industrial projects, civilian investment and the agreements reached in November 2025 provide the starting points for that work.

The Essentials

• More than 21,000 Turkish troops served in the Korean War; 721 died, and 462 are buried in Busan.
• Lee Jae Myung's November 2025 Ankara visit was the first state visit by a Korean leader in thirteen years.
• Hyundai Rotem supports Türkiye's Altay tank program, while South Korea has exported K9 artillery to Türkiye and Egypt.
• Bilateral trade reached $10.4 billion in 2023; more than 200 Korean companies have invested approximately $4.6 billion in Türkiye.
• Türkiye's defense exports exceeded $10 billion for the first time in 2024.
• The Sinop nuclear memorandum covers technical, regulatory and financial cooperation toward a potential construction contract.
• The wider agenda includes infrastructure, veterans exchanges, unmanned systems, biotechnology, renewable energy and artificial intelligence.
• South Korea and Türkiye participate in MIKTA and will mark seventy years of diplomatic relations in 2027.