Türkiye’s defense spending is projected to post a reel increase in the 2023-2025 period, according to budget documents, and constitute some 2% of the gross domestic product (GDP).
While the documents foresee spending of some 1.74% of the GDP by the end of 2022, this figure is expected to decrease to 1.63% and then reach 2% in the two-year period.
Türkiye will spend TL 268.6 billion ($14.4 billion), including foreign aid in 2023, TL 327.5 billion in 2024, and TL 378.1 billion in 2025 for defense. The amount allocated to research and development (R&D) among expenditure items is TL 4.289 billion for 2023.
Currently, more than 760 projects in the defense industry, the total amount of which exceeds $70 billion are under development in the country.
In the budget, with the exception of the Defense Industry Support Fund, all other expenditures, both defense industry and military, are shown in the functional classification. Accordingly, out of a total of TL 268.6 billion defense services expenditures to be made in 2023, some TL 254.5 billion will be allocated for military defense services.
The item of military expenditures, which are not included in the classification, was determined as TL 8.2 billion. Apart from these, TL 4.3 billion will be spent on research and development (R&D), TL 597 million for foreign aid and TL 1 billion for civil defense in 2023.
In 2024 and 2025, TL 327.5 billion and TL 378.1 billion will be spent on defense services, respectively.
The last decade has been marked by intensive efforts by Türkiye to ensure self-sufficiency in defense industry. Its efforts have enabled it bring down its external dependency in the industry all the way down to 30%, from some 70%. The rate of national production in the defense sector is expected to further reach around 80%.
