Defense industry exports surge 31 percent in January-September

ANKARA

Türkiye's defense and aviation industry exports jumped 31 percent year-on-year in the first 10 months of 2025 to $6.7 billion, the head of the country's Defense Industries Secretariat said.

The share of the defense and aerospace sector in Türkiye's overall exports has climbed to 3.4 percent in the January-September period.

"This sustained export success in our sector is the result of the defense industry cooperation activities we carry out around the world,” Haluk Görgün said on Turkish social media platform NSosyal.

"We continue these efforts with unflagging determination,” he added.

In September alone, the defense and aerospace sector’s exports amounted to $708 million, declining by 13.7 percent compared with the same month last year. The industry’s share in Türkiye’s total exports stood at 3.4 percent.

The local defense and aerospace sector has undergone a dramatic transformation over the past two decades, marking its emergence as a global player in military technology and innovation.

In 2002, the industry’s exports stood at a modest $248 million. By 2024, that figure had skyrocketed to $7.15 billion — an astonishing 29-fold increase.

The sector first crossed the $1 billion export threshold in the early 2010s, signaling a turning point in international demand for Turkish defense products.

The overall turnover of the defense and aerospace industry reached $15 billion by the end of 2024.

The number of active defense projects grew from just 62 in 2002 to over 1,100 in 2024 — a 17-fold increase.