Turkish defense and aviation industry exports, which play a crucial role in terms of the sustainability of development in the industry, increased by 3.72 percent last year compared to the previous year. With the said performance, the sector reached $1.74 billion in exports, achieving the highest foreign sales figure to date, while the export of the sector in the last five years reached $8.1 billion.

The development of the aerospace and defense industry in recent years has enabled various platforms, systems and capabilities to be demanded from overseas markets. The fact that companies operating in this field use methods like joint production, technology transfer and joint investment in addition to exports paves the way for new opportunities in international markets.

According to the preliminary export data of the Turkey Exporters Assembly (TİM), last year's exports in the aerospace and defense industry rose by 3.72 percent compared to the previous year. Thus, the sector's exports, which stood at $1.67 billion in 2016, reached $1.74 billion in 2017.

Last year's figure was also recorded as the highest export amount ever achieved in the aerospace and defense industry. The aerospace and defense industry reached $883.8 million in exports in 2011, $1.3 billion in 2012, $1.4 billion in 2013, $1.64 billion in 2014 and $1.65 billion in 2015. The economic size of exports realized by the sector in the last five years reached $8.1 billion.

Exports in the aerospace and defense industry saw their highest level last year in December with $203.2 million, while July experienced the minimum level with around $100 million.

While the sector's exports stood at TL 5 billion ($1.33 billion) in Turkish lira terms in 2016, this figure reached TL 6.3 billion last year with an increase of 25 percent.

Exports to the U.S., which led the way in the sector's exports last year, amounted to $692.3 million with an increase of 18 percent compared to 2016.

The United States was followed by Germany with $208.6 million and India with $106.9 million.

Exports to India, which experienced one of the most noticeable increases in exports in 2016, increased by 125 percent last year. India has risen to third among the countries with the largest number of exports.

These three countries were followed by France, Poland, the U.K., Saudi Arabia, Italy, Malaysia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Qatar, respectively.

Meanwhile, aerospace and defense industry exports also experienced significant increases in countries like Rwanda, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Oman, the Philippines, Ireland and Sudan.