Exports from the Turkish defense and aviation industry caught their best February performance yet, jumping 44% compared to a year earlier, according to a recent statement by the head of the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB).
"In February 2025, our defense and aviation exports increased by 44% compared to the same period of the previous year, rising from $300 million to $434 million," SSB President Haluk Görgün said in a statement on X.
Meanwhile, he informed that total exports in the first two months of the year increased by 29.6%, reaching $816 million (TL 29.74 billion). "Türkiye's defense industry is rising to a stronger position in the global market," he added.
The upward momentum in exports was reflected in the overall picture, according to a graph shared by Anadolu Agency (AA) subsequently, showing that sales surged from $77 million in the same month of 2012.
Citing data from the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM), the infographic depicts a surge in exports further to $150 million in 2018, $233 million in 2021 and $300 million in 2024, before a new record this February.
Highlighting the goal for a sustainable increase in value-added products, Görgün said: "Thanks to the uninterrupted international cooperation activities carried out by our presidency and the cost-effective, high-tech solutions of our companies, our sector has become able to export not to a certain region but to all over the world."
"In the coming period, we will resolutely continue our international activities that support both our large-scale companies and SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises), increase the number of our exporting companies, and make exports a sustainable force for the entire sector," he added.
The latest data reveals that momentum in exports observed throughout 2024 continued in the first two months of the year. The exports from the sector surged nearly 30% on an annual basis to hit $7.2 billion in 2024.
Türkiye has invested heavily in developing domestic production in the past two decades, curbing its foreign dependence by manufacturing various air and naval platforms at home.
Top domestic companies at the same time continue tests of locally made products such as radars, missiles and drones, while also focusing on expanding their portfolio in line with market needs.
