Turkiye’s booming defence industry – a quick look

Turkiye has always placed a premium on its defence, initially buying then developing its own weapons.

The owner of NATO’s second-largest standing army has also emerged as a notable weapons exporter, with some iconic products on the international market.Turkiye’s exports increased year on year to reach $7.1bn in 2024 – from $1.9bn a decade prior – with customers across Europe and the Middle East.

What’s behind this growth? What are Turkiye’s capabilities? And why is it important? Here’s what we know:

When did Turkiye move to domestic production?
Turkiye has sought military self-sufficiency for a while, a gradual process that saw it establish the Defence Industry Development and Support Administration Office (SAGEB) in 1985.For years, SAGEB focused on international collaboration in research and development. But as Turkiye came up against restrictions on what weapons it could purchase and how it could use them, that switched to local production.

In the 2010s, it switched focus to domestic design, resulting in a huge increase in domestic defence production.Have you heard about Turkish drones?
Perhaps the most famous Turkish unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is the iconic Bayraktar TB2, first deployed in 2014, one of the most widely purchased Turkish defence products.

There are several others, however, including the medium-altitude long-endurance Anka-S, which has a payload of 200kg (441lb), and the Vestel Karayel tactical UAV with a 70kg (154lb) payload.