Türkiye's defense and aerospace exports soared 44.2% on an annual basis to a record high of $555.3 million in January, a senior official said on Monday.

The industry picked up from where it left off in 2025, when shipments rose about 48% year-over-year to surpass $10 billion.

The strongest year to date reaffirmed rising global demand for Turkish-made military systems and comes as Türkiye ramps up defense industry production to further cut dependence on foreign providers.

"Having concluded 2025 with record-breaking achievements, our defense and aerospace industry has started 2026 with another record-breaking export success!" Haluk Görgün, the head of the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB), said.

Görgün noted that this strong performance once again demonstrates the competitiveness of the Turkish defense and aerospace sector in global markets and its capacity for sustainable growth.

"This result is a tangible reflection of our high-value-added, advanced technology product portfolio, our field-proven systems, and our long-term, trust-based collaborations. Our defense and aerospace industry is resolutely committed to making a strategic contribution to Türkiye's overall export performance," he noted.

Years of investment have helped Türkiye evolve from a country heavily reliant on foreign defense systems to one where domestically developed platforms meet almost all of its needs.

For much of the past two decades, Ankara has expressed frustration over its Western allies' failure to provide adequate defense systems against missile threats despite Türkiye being a NATO member.

The transformation since the early 2000s has driven the development of a broad range of homegrown air, land and naval platforms, reducing foreign dependency from around 80% to below 20% today.

The capabilities of its defense platforms, led by its combat drones, helped it seal billions of dollars' worth of deals in recent years.

More than 3,500 firms operate in the Turkish defense industry, boasting a workforce of about 100,000.