Türkiye Mobilizes Over 300 Experts to Launch National Quantum Technology Strategy and Superconducting Processor Programs

The Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye, Secretariat of Defence Industries (SSB) has officially unveiled the SSB Quantum Program, establishing a comprehensive, sovereign roadmap designed to cement the nation’s technological independence across quantum computing, quantum sensing, and secure quantum communications. Formulated under the Quantum Focus Technology Network (OTAĞ) process, the strategic infrastructure plan synthesizes contributions from 305 technical experts across 123 defense, academic, and military organizations. The implementation blueprint targets 85 priority technology areas, structurally bifurcated into 34 short-term and 51 long-term operational benchmarks. The multi-tiered initiative aligns with Türkiye’s broader national defense doctrine to minimize external dependency on foreign technical stacks, which Defence Industries Secretary Haluk Görgün designated as a critical vulnerability equivalent to a silent transfer of national sovereignty. [ OTAĞ Strategic Process Framework ] (305 Multi-Disciplinary Experts / 123 Institutions) │ ┌────────────┴────────────┐ ▼ ▼ [ 34 Near-Term Priorities ] [ 51 Long-Term Priorities ] • Post-Quantum Security • Nanofabrication Expansion • Magnetometer Navigation • Multi-Qubit QPU Scale-Out • QKD Communications • Cryogenic Metric Packaging Domestic Manufacturing and Superconducting Processor Development Projects At the center of the hardware push is the Superconducting Quantum Processor Unit (QPU) Development Project, a strategic prime contract awarded to defense technology systems integrator ASELSAN. Building upon foundational R&D tracks initiated in 2021 and the deployment of the 5-qubit QuanT prototype system at TOBB ETÜ, the project transitions the domestic quantum ecosystem from laboratory design into industrial manufacturing. ASELSAN will construct and process these native chips at Türkiye’s first dedicated superconducting production facility. This specialized installation provides the high-vacuum cleanrooms and sub-kelvin cryogenics necessary to manufacture lithographed superconducting circuits. To sustain a localized, full-stack hardware supply chain, the contract establishes a tight co-design network linking industrial manufacturing with specialized institutional research arms: Academic Superconductivity Experts: Sabancı University and Koç University provide the localized quantum physics modeling, material optimization, and low-level loop topologies required to sustain stable superconducting phase states. Metrology and Standardization Core: The TÜBİTAK National Metrology Institute (UME) manages high-precision measurement layers, signal calibration validation, and error-mitigation benchmarks to ensure multi-vendor component interoperability. Quantum Sensing and Inertial Navigation in Denied Environments Beyond raw digital computation, near-term deployment efforts prioritize immediate security applications, specifically spearheaded by the Kerteriz Project. This initiative focuses on the engineering and demonstration of advanced quantum magnetometers designed for precision submarine detection and signal-independent navigation. By exploiting the localized phase sensitivities of quantum states to measure micro-Tesla ambient magnetic distortions, the system enables naval and aerospace platforms to maintain precise geographic tracking in GPS-denied or highly electronic-warfare-congested operating zones. [ SSB Structural Infrastructure Goals ] Critical Testing Labs ──► Cryogenic testbed chambers operating near absolute zero (-273°C). Packaging & Assembly ──► Low-noise sensor shielding and semiconductor packaging lines. Workforce Competency ──► Dedicated postgraduate quantum engineering and algorithm tracks. The operational synchronization of these diverse platforms is governed by the newly deployed Türkiye Quantum Platform portal, an inter-institutional hub designed to manage the shared utilization of state-funded nanofabrication lines, cryogenic testing systems, and sensor packaging laboratories. To counter long-range cryptographic threats—such as the “harvest now, decrypt later” vector targeting legacy public-key encryption (RSA and ECC)—the platform will simultaneously manage the SSB Quantum Algorithm Competition and the Defe nse Industry Quantum Technologies Strategic Competence Development Cooperation Protocol. This workforce initiative leverages the exceptionally young engineering base of the Turkish defense sector—averaging 34 years of age—to train a highly specialized pipeline of quantum engineers, positioning the nation to protect its data sovereign boundaries inside the NATO Transatlantic Quantum Community. The full strategic roadmap definitions, institutional portfolios, and defense contract parameters can be audited via the official Türkiye Quantum Platform here, with breaking policy coverage and project signatures tracked in the Daily Sabah National Briefing here and analyzed across the global technology deployment landscape in the Open Quantum Observatory Report here. June 29, 2026