Bakir, AliKoc, Engin2026-02-082026-02-0820251475-17981475-1801https://doi.org/10.1080/14751798.2025.2549198https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12885/5862In the past decade, several Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states have diversified their defence partnerships and intensified local defence-industry initiatives, increasingly considering T & uuml;rkiye as a viable option. However, Kuwait's position differs from that of its Gulf counterparts in three key ways. First, Kuwait is less inclined to enhance its security and defence ties with T & uuml;rkiye compared to the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. Second, unlike these nations, Kuwait shows little interest in developing a domestic defence industry. Third, although there have been recent positive developments in Kuwaiti-Turkish defence relations, these ties remain limited compared to the robust political and economic connections between the two countries and the extensive defence relationships other GCC states have cultivated with T & uuml;rkiye. To address the question of why, our paper draws on small state theories, utilizing a mixed-methods approach that includes interviews and communications with officials and experts, as well as analysis of primary sources.eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessKuwait-T & uuml;rkiye relationsKuwait's defence industryGulf securitysmall state theoryShelter strategyKuwait-Turkiye defence tiesArticle10.1080/14751798.2025.2549198414691713WOS:0015690004000012-s2.0-105016111573Q3Q2