Türkiye’s defense and aerospace industry has achieved nearly $5.8 billion (TL 201.55 billion) worth of exports this year as of November, the new highest annual sales ever, having a month left to further build on the peak.
The sector’s outbound shipments rose by 19% year-over-year from January through November to almost $5.76 billion, according to data from the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM).
Over the past 12 months, exports grew by 18.4% year-over-year, totaling $6.48 billion, the data showed.
Driven by combat drones, defense exports reached a record $5.5 billion in 2023, renewing the previous peak of $4.4 billion in 2022.
Officials earlier estimated the figure could approach $7 billion by the end of 2024.
In November alone, defense and aviation industry exports reached $637 million, marking a 32.3% increase compared to a year ago.
“Our defense industry is continuously growing, developing and strengthening. With our broad, skilled and dynamic ecosystem, proven systems in the field and ever-increasing export potential, we are showing the world that Türkiye is now a significant player in the big leagues,” Haluk Görgün, the head of the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB).
Görgün highlighted that defense industry companies have become capable of exporting to the entire world, having managed to sell their products to 178 different countries in 2024.
Türkiye has injected billions of dollars over the past two decades, which has helped it transform from a nation heavily reliant on equipment from abroad to one where homegrown systems now meet almost all of its defense industry needs.
For years, Ankara has voiced frustrations over its Western allies' failure to provide adequate defense against missile threats despite Türkiye being a NATO member.
The investment drive prompted the development of a range of homegrown air, land and marine platforms, which eventually helped Türkiye seal billions of dollars worth of export deals in recent years.
That helped lower Türkiye's foreign dependency in the defense industry from around 80% in the early 2000s to some 20% today.
