Türkiye’s defense industry exports surge to $7.15B in 2024
Aselsan's ACV-X armoured combat vehicle take part in the “Winter Exercise-2025”, organized by the Turkish Armed Forces in Kars, Türkiye on January 30, 2025. (AA Photo)
Türkiye’s defense and aerospace industry exports reached $7.15 billion in 2024, marking a 29% increase compared to the previous year, according to Haluk Gorgun, head of the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB).
Speaking at the fourth Global Strategies Conference on Defense and Aerospace Industry in Antalya, Gorgun emphasized Türkiye’s growing role as a major defense exporter and its expanding international partnerships.
“This figure surpasses last year’s target of $6.5 billion by 11%, reflecting the industry’s strong performance,” he stated.
Türkiye’s defense industry: 11th largest defense exporter
Gorgun emphasized that Türkiye is now the 11th largest defense exporter in the world.
“Türkiye holds 65% of the global UAV market. Last year, 1,600 Turkish defense firms exported their products, with 169 companies surpassing $1 million in export revenue,” he said.
Key highlights from Türkiye’s defense sector include:
- 185 countries have received Turkish defense products in the last decade.
- In 2023 alone, 180 countries imported Turkish defense equipment.
- Main export products include smart munitions, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), armored vehicles, military ships, radar systems and weapon turrets.
- The U.S. remained Türkiye’s largest defense export market in 2023.
Expansion of defense projects and investments
Gorgun announced that Türkiye signed 170 new defense projects worth over $7 billion in 2023. The country is allocating ₺1.6 trillion ($44.61 billion) for defense and security expenditures in 2025.
“With an increasing success rate in exports, we believe Türkiye will soon be among the top countries achieving double-digit defense export figures,” he added.
The country is also focusing on:
- Increasing investments in research and development, and innovation.
- Developing new defense markets, including multilateral military sales agreements.
- Deepening defense cooperation with NATO allies.
International engagement and future goals
Türkiye continues to strengthen its global defense presence through international visits and agreements:
- In 2024, SSB accompanied President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on nine overseas visits related to defense cooperation.
- The agency participated in 16 defense cooperation meetings, 14 international defense fairs, and eight intergovernmental agreements.
- Türkiye engaged in over 400 meetings with 81 foreign delegations in 2024.
Looking ahead, Gorgun emphasized that Türkiye will focus on:
- Expanding into new defense markets.
- Enhancing NATO partnerships.
- Increasing the participation of small and medium-sized enterprises in defense exports.
“Our goal is to ensure that future generations are not just consumers of technology, but designers, producers, and exporters of it,” he concluded.
