Türkiye’s defense and aerospace industry's exports surged nearly 30% annually to reach a new record high of $7.2 billion in 2024, the head of the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) said Friday.
This achievement surpasses the year’s defense export target of $6.5 billion by 11%, SSB head Haluk Görgün announced on the X platform.
"In 2024, our defense and aerospace industry exports, including NATO and service exports, reached a new record by increasing by 29% to $7.154 billion," Görgün wrote on X.
Highlighting the industry’s robust international performance, Görgün further said: "Thanks to our international cooperation activities and contacts, our companies have become able to export not to a certain region but to almost the entire world."
The announcement of new figures covering last year came as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan shared on Friday that Türkiye had reached a new all-time high in overall exports in 2024, which rose 2.5% to $262 billion.
The country's defense industry witnessed an upward momentum in outbound sales in recent years, having achieved $5.5 billion in exports in 2023, which was also a new record at the time.
Türkiye's defense landscape last year was characterized by a series of key developments and milestones, such as the maiden flight of the homegrown fighter jet Kaan and the first landing and takeoff from a ship with a short runway by Baykar's new Bayraktar TB3 drone.
At the same time, some pioneering companies in the field, such as Aselsan, have boosted global expansion by opening new offices in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Chile.
Görgün, in his post, also emphasized the sector’s commitment to innovation and global outreach.
"We are determined to continue to open new horizons, break records and carry Türkiye’s technological power into the future, led by its defense industry products and advanced technologies," he said.
Looking ahead, the industry focuses on maintaining momentum and enhancing the export of high-value-added products.
"In 2025, we will continue to work with the same determination, with the goal of a permanent increase in the export of high value-added products," Görgün concluded.
