Helez with Turkish Defence Minister Güler: Further strengthen cooperation

(Patria) - On the last day of his stay in Istanbul, as part of participation in the 17th International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF 2025), the Deputy Chair of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Minister of Defence Zukan Helez held a bilateral meeting on 24 July 2025 with the Minister of National Defence of the Republic of Turkey, Yaşar Güler.

During the meeting, Minister Helez emphasised that Bosnia and Herzegovina and Turkey nurture a long historical connection, and that Turkey is one of the most important partners of our country, both in strengthening the Armed Forces of BiH and in providing support for Euro-Atlantic integrations.

“The meeting with Minister Güler is yet another strong confirmation of everything we have been diligently building for months – strong support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the strengthening of our defence and security system,” stated Minister Helez.

This meeting was an opportunity to present the achieved results of bilateral cooperation, but also for an open exchange of views on challenges in implementing projects supported by the Ministry of National Defence of the Republic of Turkey.

Minister Helez thanked his colleague Güler for Turkey's continuous support for the development of the Armed Forces of BiH, as well as for the process of Bosnia and Herzegovina's accession to the NATO alliance, emphasising that membership in this alliance is one of the key foreign policy priorities of our country.

Minister Güler expressed unequivocal support for BiH's NATO path. In this context, Minister Helez highlighted our country's commitment to continuing and improving cooperation with the Republic of Turkey, especially in the segments of developing the operational capabilities of the Armed Forces of BiH, an institution that is a key cohesive factor of BiH society and has repeatedly proven itself as a guarantor of security for all citizens.

The Ministry of Defence of BiH expresses full readiness to continue cooperation with the Ministry of National Defence of the Republic of Turkey, as well as for active participation in the further implementation of the existing Agreement on Military-Financial Cooperation.

It was also emphasised that the Ministry of Defence of BiH is open to discussions on new arrangements with Turkish companies in the field of defence industry, with the aim of further strengthening the capacities and capabilities of the Armed Forces of BiH.

Minister Helez once again underscored that Bosnia and Herzegovina's integration into the European Union and NATO are two fundamental strategic goals of our country's foreign and security policy. Although these two processes are progressing at different paces and with numerous challenges, the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces of BiH remain firmly committed to meeting standards and achieving full interoperability with EU and NATO forces.

At the end of the official visit, Minister Helez also held a meeting with the director of the company ASFAT, Dr. Mustafa Ilbas, whom he thanked for the successful cooperation so far. The Ministry of Defence of BiH has a signed contract with this company for the training of 60 pilots over a period of 10 years (six pilots annually), which represents a significant investment in the capacities of the Armed Forces of BiH, even for countries with a larger defence budget than Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Also agreed was the procurement and installation of flight data recording devices – Ses Veri Kayıt Cihazı (SVKC), known as "black boxes", which will be installed on helicopters of the Armed Forces of BiH.