Defining its mission for 2019 as “developing a vision for the youth for innovation and the future of defence industry”, C4Defence will allocate space for defence clubs established in Turkish universities, as of its 69th issue. Our first interview was with Istanbul Technical University Defence Technologies Club (İTÜ SAVTEK), regarded as one of the earliest student clubs in the area of defence.

These clubs, founded exclusively by the modest efforts of undergraduate and graduate students, not only create awareness as an umbrella organisation by students of different departments, but also contribute to raising qualified personnel for the defence industry thanks to their creative projects. In this section, we will not only introduce them to you but also shed light on the various problems they encounter.  

C4Defence: When was SAVTEK established and what is its scope?

SAVTEK: In an attempt to contribute to the dialogue between the Turkish defence industry and universities, Defence Technologies Club (SAVTEK) was established by Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ) students in the Academic Year of 2008-2009 as an interdisciplinary student club. SAVTEK’s membership is not discriminatory; it welcomes students from all departments at the undergraduate and graduate level.