Azernews.Az

By Alimat Aliyeva

Turkish defense company ASELSAN has announced plans to resume mobile phone production in 2027, AzerNEWS reports.

The company, which first entered the mobile phone market in 1997 with the ASELSAN 1919 model, has reportedly reached an agreement with the telecommunications operator Türk Telekom to jointly develop a new generation of modern smartphones.

Work on the original ASELSAN 1919 began in 1993, and it became one of only a few mobile phone models ever produced in Türkiye at the time. Its release marked an important milestone, as Türkiye briefly joined the group of countries capable of developing and assembling mobile phones domestically.

The initial production run was limited to around 500 units, some of which were exported to Azerbaijan and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

Commenting on the new agreement with Türk Telekom, ASELSAN CEO Ahmet Akyol emphasized the company’s strong background in defense and communications technologies.

He noted that modern global conflicts clearly show how critical communication infrastructure has become for national security. According to him, ASELSAN aims to leverage its technological expertise and production capacity to strengthen Türkiye’s domestic capabilities and reduce dependence on foreign suppliers, particularly in the communications sector.

Interestingly, the renewed push into smartphone production also reflects a broader global trend: many countries are now investing in “sovereign technology” projects, where strategic industries like telecom, chips, and defense systems are developed locally to reduce external risks and supply chain vulnerabilities.