Turkey’s ARCA Defense Industry will open an ammunition plant in Estonia’s Ida-Virumaa county, ERR reports. The new factory in Kiviõli will produce various types of ammunition, including artillery ammunition, mortar rounds, rockets, and shells, initially for export only. Estonia’s Defence Ministry said that the facility would begin producing ammunition for the Estonian Defence Forces in the future. ARCA plans to open the plant in 2028, creating up to 1,000 jobs, ERR reported. The company will invest EUR 300mn of its own funds in production infrastructure. ARCA’s plans in Estonia were delayed due to background checks into the company’s founder and president, Ismail Terlemez, who was previously on trial for corruption related to NATO contracts in the US, ERR reported. Turkish media have linked ARCA to possible corruption in Turkey as well, The Baltic Sentinel reported. Moreover, ARCA may have done weapons deals with the Sudanese paramilitary group, Rapid Support Forces, which is accused of egregious war crimes, according to The Washington Post.
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