AGP Executive Report

Clinical Trial Milestone (Ankara): GEN Pharmaceuticals says the first patient has been dosed in a Phase II proof-of-concept trial of SUL-238 for early, untreated Parkinson’s, aiming to test whether targeting mitochondrial dysfunction can improve disease biology. Aerospace & Defense (Berlin): Turkish Aerospace Industries CEO Mehmet Demiroğlu highlights KAAN’s faster progress versus slower European fighter programs, while also pointing to TAI’s wind-tunnel capacity and growing space ambitions. UAV Autonomy (Plovdiv): Bulgaria’s BlackBelt Technologies makes its public debut at IDEES, unveiling Forge-OS and starting exploratory technical talks with Turkish UAV maker TEUSAN on GPS-denied autonomy. Energy Infrastructure (Istanbul-linked): Iraq accelerates alternate oil exports by expanding the Kurdistan–Turkey pipeline network toward Ceyhan, after Hormuz disruptions hit revenues hard. Trade Talks (Türkiye-Canada): Turkey and Canada agree to launch exploratory discussions toward a free trade agreement, with energy flagged for deeper cooperation. Regional Science & Tech (Istanbul): Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Georgia pledge to expand trilateral cooperation including science and technology, citing cyber and hybrid threats. Health & Climate (COP31): A Türkiye-coordinated coalition of 74 groups urges COP31 to prioritize health and treat fossil fuels as a health risk.

Turkey-Linked Tech & Trade: Canada and Türkiye have started exploratory talks for a free trade agreement, with both sides also flagging renewable energy and nuclear cooperation (including CANDU know-how) plus aerospace, defence and security industry collaboration. Diplomacy & Regional Tech: Foreign ministers Hakan Fidan, Jeyhun Bayramov and Maka Botchorishvili reaffirmed Azerbaijan-Georgia-Türkiye cooperation in Istanbul, extending it to science and technology alongside politics, trade, security and connectivity. Energy & Industry Ties: President Erdoğan met Venezuela’s acting president Delcy Rodríguez in Istanbul, discussing steps to deepen cooperation in trade, energy and mining. AI & Consumer Tech: At WWDC 2026, Apple unveiled a rebranded Siri AI and major upgrades to Apple Intelligence, now backed by Google Gemini for more advanced on-device reasoning and system-wide orchestration. Health Research: Turkish ophthalmologist Dr. İskender Alkın Solmaz won “Best Paper of Session” at ASCRS for a next-generation corneal disease therapy aimed at protecting corneal cells. Aviation & Regulation: Airlines say Middle East fuel costs are bad, but taxes and restrictive rules worry them more, as carriers plan around volatile operating conditions. Digital Safety Policy: Governments worldwide are accelerating bans and age limits on social media for minors, following Australia’s under-16 restrictions.

Defense Industry & Exports: Turkey is pushing to consolidate its role as a top military supplier as Western rearmament accelerates, with exports tripling since 2021 to nearly $10B and drones leading demand; Ankara is also banking on the NATO summit in Ankara to unlock more Western industrial cooperation. Naval Engineering: STM launched RAJA LAUT, the second corvette for Malaysia’s LMS Batch-2 project, continuing a three-ship build with the third scheduled for August. Autonomous Transit: Karsan is expanding autonomous bus operations, launching an autonomous e-JEST minibus pilot in Atlanta after earlier Level-4 deployments in real traffic. South Asia Strategic Ties: Bangladesh and Türkiye agreed to launch a joint defence-and-foreign-affairs mechanism to institutionalize cooperation and coordination. Science & Museums: ESOGÜ Zoology Museum reopened in Eskişehir after relocation and renovation, now operating as a private museum to support biodiversity research and education. Space-Adjacent Luxury Tech: Prada unveiled a NASA astronaut inner-layer garment with ventilation tubes developed with Axiom Space, signaling deeper luxury involvement in space hardware. Ancient Trade Research: A study on Athens’ oldest coins suggests silver used in early coinage came from distant sources, pointing to an unexpected ancient global silver trade.

Türkiye-Georgia Green Tech: Georgia and Türkiye signed forestry and irrigation cooperation memorandums in Istanbul, focusing on seedling cultivation, protected areas, and irrigation/drainage tech transfer. Aviation Digitalization: At APEX FTE EMEA, Smarter Airports pitched its AIRHART orchestration platform, while MSM.digital and FACEPHI showcased immersive passenger experiences and digital identity for smoother airport processing. Defense & Naval Engineering: Türkiye’s MUGEM aircraft carrier project timeline was updated at CNE 2026, with construction underway and a 2032 delivery target. Military Industry Push: A Reuters review says Türkiye’s defense exports have more than tripled since 2021, reaching $10B last year, with Europe and the U.S. driving growth. Smart Manufacturing in Textiles: Kipaş installed Monforts Thermex dyeing and Monfortex sanforizing systems, running 24/7 to boost energy savings and consistent fabric quality. Science & Education Diplomacy: TIKA met Dhaka University and Bangladesh education officials to expand joint research and primary science/tech education. Water Management Debate: Raqqa floods renewed questions about Euphrates control, including the Atatürk Dam spillway reopening and downstream engineering readiness. Space Science: Astronomers reported a gentle “wind” from the Milky Way’s central black hole, using ALMA and Chandra data. Cultural Tech & Learning: Erbil’s Kurdish book fair sold 37,000+ books in four days, with European publishers participating.

Turkish Defense Tech: Türkiye has entered a new phase of unmanned strike warfare as Roketsan’s İHA-230 supersonic ballistic missile is fielded on combat drones, enabling stand-off precision strikes beyond 150 km and strengthening NATO’s southeastern flank. Science & Space: Astronomers using ALMA and NASA’s Chandra report a surprisingly gentle “breeze” from the Milky Way’s central black hole, Sagittarius A. Human Behavior Research: A large global study in *Science finds people are more cooperative than they think, with many willing to sacrifice personal pay for climate action. Trade & Diplomacy: In Dhaka, Turkish FM Hakan Fidan discussed a possible FTA/preferential deal with Bangladesh and pushed for deeper Turkish investment in textiles, IT and smart technologies. AI Policy Debate: Public ownership in AI is back on the agenda after meetings involving Sam Altman and Sen. Bernie Sanders, with Donald Trump also showing interest. Health Access: New reporting from New Mexico highlights how gender-affirming care can be legally protected yet still hard to access due to provider shortages and insurance hurdles. Regional Energy: SOCAR’s expanding role around Israeli gas is highlighted at the Baku Energy Forum, aiming to backstop supply when exports pause.

Türkiye’s NATO airpower upgrade: Roketsan’s İHA-230 supersonic ballistic missile is now in service on combat drones, extending stand-off precision strikes beyond 150 km and shifting Türkiye toward distributed unmanned deep-strike. Defense planning pressure: UK MPs warn the £6bn Ajax armoured vehicle may never be combat-ready, while they also demand an apology over delays to the Defence Investment Plan. Health tech for travelers: A remote-monitoring heart device is helping an elderly patient keep traveling safely, showing how connected implants can support global care. AI + surveillance governance: A new academic argument urges researchers to study Xinjiang’s AI, biometrics and big-data state system as a warning for future tech-politics conflicts. Digital infrastructure links: An open-source review adds technical alignment between Viory and Ruptly via shared Yandex-based hosting and overlapping systems. Turkey–Bangladesh ties: Ankara and Dhaka plan annual 2+2 talks (foreign and defence ministers) and discuss trade and investment expansion. World Cup geopolitics: Iran says US visa denials hit not just players but delegation staff, as preparations continue in Turkey.

Education Diplomacy: Bangladesh is pushing an education diplomacy drive to expand scholarships, research collaboration and tech partnerships worldwide, positioning knowledge and skilled talent as a development lever. Ukraine-Russia Tech Warfare: Ukrainian drones hit St Petersburg after Putin rejects Zelensky’s summit proposal, with Russia reporting large-scale drone interceptions. Cyber & Sanctions Risk: US prosecutors arrested California-based Jamshid Ghomi, accused of helping Iran obtain restricted US networking, security and encryption equipment for over a decade. Logistics & IT Infrastructure: Ozon says it has opened five large logistics centers in Russia since early 2026 and plans more, citing major warehouse capacity and IT investment. Regional Tech Diplomacy: Turkey’s FM Hakan Fidan says Ankara and Seoul agreed to expand cooperation in nuclear energy, transport, defense industries and advanced technology. Science Tourism in Türkiye: Salda Lake in Burdur hosted “Science Days” with hands-on workshops and NASA-linked plans, highlighting the Mars-analogue value of the site. Ancient Language Breakthrough: Researchers in Antalya report expanding the Sidetic alphabet from 26 to 31 letters using bilingual inscriptions. Security & Air Defense Focus: A Turkish intelligence academy report urges stronger air/missile defenses and infrastructure protection amid shifting Middle East threats.

AI & Antitrust: Türkiye’s Competition Authority opened a formal investigation into Meta after concerns that Meta AI’s integration into WhatsApp could block rival generative AI assistants; interim measures require Meta to let third-party providers offer services without practical or economic disadvantage. AI Safety Debate: Anthropic urged leading AI labs to create a coordinated option to slow or temporarily pause advanced model development, warning that progress could outpace humanity’s ability to control it. Defense Tech & Readiness: Turkey-linked regional security pressures are driving calls for major defense overhaul, with a new assessment urging stronger air and missile defenses and more resilient operations; separately, the UK’s delayed Defence Investment Plan is set to be published before the NATO summit in Ankara. Space Operations: NASA ordered ISS crew to shelter in Crew Dragon amid a worsening air leak in Russia’s Zvezda module, then later allowed a return as teams worked on fixes. Science & Heritage: Archaeologists reported very early surgical evidence in Central Asia—Bronze Age trepanation traces on a child’s skull found in Uzbekistan. Turkey-Region Ties: Bangladesh and Türkiye agreed to deepen strategic cooperation, target $2bn trade, and explore a free trade arrangement, with sectors spanning textiles, defense manufacturing, ICT, and smart technologies.

Directed-Energy Air Defense: Roketsan says its Alka laser system will act as the “laser layer” of Türkiye’s Steel Dome, scaling from 2.5 kW to 10+ kW to counter evolving drone threats. Defence Industry Exports: Türkiye’s defence and aerospace exports hit $992M in May (+33.9% y/y), with $3.86B in the first five months (+29.5%). Crypto Payments in Türkiye: Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin expanded to 40+ blockchain networks via Wormhole, with local access supported by BiLira, Bitexen and Bitlo. Maritime Carbon Tech: DNV validated Carbon Ridge’s centrifugal onboard carbon capture system, reporting peak CO2 capture rates up to 98% from a pilot on a Turkish-built tanker. Archaeogenomics in Türkiye: A Çatalhöyük genomic study suggests a rare matrilineal/matrilocal pattern, with many female descendants staying near ancestral homes. Diplomacy & Tech Cooperation: Türkiye’s FM Hakan Fidan met Bangladesh counterparts in Dhaka, aiming to deepen ties across defence industry, energy, education, science and health. Health & Stigma: An obesity specialist in Istanbul proposed using art history to reduce stigma, reframing obesity in historical art as a compassion lesson.

Turkey–South Korea Ties: Turkish FM Hakan Fidan says Ankara and Seoul will deepen strategic cooperation, with joint initiatives spanning nuclear energy, transport, defense industry and advanced tech. Maritime Carbon Tech: DNV validated Carbon Ridge’s centrifugal onboard carbon capture system, reporting peak CO2 capture up to 98% during a pilot on a tanker at Besiktas Shipyard in Turkey. Trade & Tech-Industry Signals: Turkey’s trade deficit narrowed 15.7% to $42.7B in the first five months of 2026; exports were led by medium-high and high-tech products, while new tax incentives target manufacturers and service exports like software and engineering. Legal/Research Governance: The ECtHR communicated questions to Turkey over alleged rights violations in post-2016 coup dismissals involving TÜBİTAK and Aselsan employees. Energy & Logistics Corridors: Kazakhstan invited Cyprus to join development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (“Middle Corridor”), aiming to speed cargo links to the Mediterranean via Turkey. Ancient Science in Turkey: New research highlights Catalhoyuk’s unusual matrilocal gender dynamics, adding fresh genomics insight to Turkey’s Neolithic record.

Inflation Outlook: Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek says Türkiye’s disinflation drive is “firm,” expecting inflation to keep falling and end the year in the mid‑20s despite shocks. Cybersecurity: Researchers warn of fake open-source download sites that route users through traffic distribution systems to deliver malware, including Remus Stealer and SessionGate. Digital Trust: Ankara-based sslTrus by NicSRS expands cloud code signing via a reseller program aimed at software supply-chain security. Health & Research: A joint Uzbekistan–Italy team reports 4,000-year-old skull trepanation signs in a child burial, offering rare clues on ancient medical practice. Environment & Cities: Istanbul’s Zero Waste Festival opens with renewable energy, recycling, circular economy and AI-linked sustainability activities, targeting about one million visitors. Semiconductors: TSMC CEO C.C. Wei expects continued AI-driven demand for advanced chips while monitoring rising component costs. Energy: SOCAR, TotalEnergies, XRG and BOTAŞ sign a 15-year Absheron gas supply deal to Turkey starting in 2029.

Turkey-US Defense Tech: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says Turkey can’t re-enter the F-35 program while it still operates the Russian S-400, pointing to legal limits and ongoing security concerns. Sanctions & Cyber/Encryption Supply Chains: US authorities arrested Jamshid Ghomi, a US-Iranian tech CEO, alleging a decade-long scheme to route US networking and encryption gear to Iran’s military and nuclear programs via front companies and UAE intermediaries. Counter-Drone Materials: A Chinese firm, Star-Navi, is marketing spray-on radar-absorbing coatings for stealth drones, claiming reduced radar detectability across multiple frequency bands. EU Tech Sovereignty: The European Union unveiled a “tech sovereignty” package aimed at reducing dependence on non-EU cloud and AI providers, with tighter rules for defense and security-critical services. Broadcast Tech for Turkey: Broadcast Solutions delivered eight Ultra HD outside-broadcast units for TRT, designed for a shift from SDI to IP workflows and built for major live events. Maritime AI Safety: Turkey’s BLUEVISION system is being positioned as a “digital lookout” to improve maritime navigation safety. Health & Food Science: A large European study links higher processed meat intake with increased stomach and esophageal cancer risk. Energy Corridors: Baku Energy Forum coverage highlights how the Southern Gas Corridor and Middle Corridor are becoming key energy transport bridges, with calls for more logistics and digital monitoring investment.

Turkey–South Korea Defense & Energy: Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan heads to Seoul on June 4 to push defense industry cooperation—especially joint drone production—alongside nuclear energy, AI, semiconductors, biotech and next-gen batteries. Turkey–Indonesia Tech & Defense Ties: Fidan’s Jakarta visit also targets deeper cooperation in infrastructure, energy, transport, digitalization, AI, high tech and halal industries, with trade goals set at $10B. Maritime Electronic Warfare: Turkey’s HAVA SOJ airborne standoff jammer appears in clearer test imagery, suggesting the indigenous electronic warfare program is moving into a more advanced phase. AI for Safer Seas: Turkey’s BLUEVISION “digital lookout” is highlighted as an AI-powered system aimed at improving maritime navigation safety. Health Alert in Kenya (Ebola scare): Kenya’s health ministry cleared a suspected Ebola case after negative lab results for a Turkish national with Ebola-like symptoms. Finance Watch: Halkbank shares jumped ahead of a June 10 U.S. case review deadline tied to sanctions compliance. Space Science: Scientists report strong signs of magnetic fields on distant exoplanets, based on wind behavior on hot gas worlds. Industrial Tech (Manufacturing): New laser and hybrid cutting approaches for ultra-thick steel are gaining attention for heavy industry efficiency. Automotive Tech: BMW unveiled the updated M2 with optional M xDrive AWD and new M Ignite combustion tech for improved performance and emissions compliance.

Electronic Warfare & Drones: Turkey’s Hava SOJ stand-off jammer aircraft is now shown in its clearest official in-flight visuals, signaling faster entry of a dedicated electronic attack capability for the Turkish Air Force. Defense Tech Cooperation: Ankara is also pushing joint drone development and production with Japan, aiming to pair Turkey’s drone know-how with Japan’s tech base. Energy Infrastructure: The planned natural gas pipeline from Turkey to northern Cyprus is set to be operational in 2028, with engineering work targeted to finish by year-end. Digital Finance: Ripple USD (RLUSD) is now available to Turkish institutions via new partnerships with BiLira, Bitexen and Bitlo, as Ripple positions the USD-backed stablecoin for emerging-market liquidity. Science & Earth History: New research in Nature Geoscience traces the Euphrates’ origins to two ancient river systems in eastern Turkey that later merged, reshaping how scientists understand the “cradle of civilization” waterways. Health Tourism: Turkey continues to market eyebrow transplant services to international patients, adding another niche to its medical tourism push. AI & Society: A Turkish-focused commentary argues that large language models can spread “algorithmic falsehoods,” raising stakes for truth in the digital public sphere.

Energy & Mining Diplomacy: Egypt and Türkiye are pushing to deepen cooperation in petroleum, natural gas and mining, with Turkish investment in Egypt’s Eastern Desert gold exploration highlighted after OZ Mining launched a feasibility study. Crypto & Stablecoins: Ripple says its USD-backed RLUSD is now available in Türkiye via BiLira, Bitexen and Bitlo, aiming to compete with USDT/USDC in a market shaped by lira volatility. Textile Manufacturing: Shima Seiki is showcasing WHOLEGARMENT knitting and automated cutting tech at ITM 2026 in Istanbul, pitching higher productivity and less waste for apparel makers. AI Funding Race: Alphabet plans to raise up to $80B from stock sales to expand AI compute infrastructure, with Berkshire Hathaway set to invest $10B. Sports Tech: Google Türkiye becomes an official sponsor of the national football team, promising Gemini-powered fan digital initiatives and real-time match support ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Maritime Safety Tech: Turkey’s BLUEVISION AI system is being positioned as a next-gen tool for safer maritime navigation.

Ancient Turkey Discovery: Snowmelt on Lifos Mountain in Kayseri has revealed a large, walled ancient complex with settlement traces, cisterns and possible foundations—researchers say it could be among the biggest mountain-top sites in the region. Archaeology & Myth Meets Tech: Separate radar scans in eastern Turkey report a ship-shaped, three-deck structure and a buried tunnel at Durupinar near Mount Ararat, renewing claims about Noah’s Ark. Defense Tech Watch: Turkey’s electronic warfare jet HAVA SOJ (Airborne Standoff Jammer) appears in new Ministry of Defence imagery, signaling progress toward operational status. Maritime Safety AI: Turkey’s BLUEVISION digital system is highlighted as improving maritime navigation safety with an AI-powered “digital lookout.” Energy & Mining: Turkish OZ Mining is set to explore for gold in Egypt’s Eastern Desert, while Turkey and Azerbaijan deepen energy cooperation tied to SOCAR’s gas deal. Tech, Law & AI Safety: Florida sues OpenAI over alleged harms from ChatGPT, marking the first state-level legal challenge against the company. Global Tech-Policy Tension: Britain blocks pro-Palestinian streamer Hasan Piker and Cenk Uygur from entering the UK for events, citing public-good risk. Climate Risk: A study says 2025 wildfires caused record financial damage, with fewer fires but higher impact in populated areas.