The year 2025 marked a period in which records were broken and expectations were exceeded for the Turkish defense industry. With exports reaching $10 billion, the sector expanded its reach from Latin America to East Asia. Having built the largest defense industry infrastructure in West Asia and emerged as a global actor, the Turkish defense industry is now preparing for new initiatives. For this reason, the 2026-2027 period is of critical importance. Service contracts accompanying defense exports create opportunities for long-term cooperation following product sales. For example, defense exports to countries such as Romania, Croatia and Poland are also reflected in areas like personnel training and maintenance services. A similar situation can be observed in cooperation with countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. In the coming years, existing partnerships are expected to expand into different sectors and play a greater role in bilateral relations.
In this context, military and political developments in Latin America are pushing regional countries toward new searches and partnerships. The turmoil in Venezuela has brought defense and military security issues to the forefront across Latin America. In particular, countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia and Chile seek to strengthen their independence against global powers. From this perspective, Turkish defense industry products, having become a global trend in recent years, are emerging as a strong alternative for Latin armies.
In April 2025, a defense industry exhibition was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The most notable and closely followed products at the fair were showcased at the Turkish defense industry stand. Companies such as Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), Aselsan, Havelsan, Baykar Technology, FNSS, MKE and Otokar left the fair with large-scale orders and agreements. Protocols signed in line with the needs of the Brazilian Armed Forces highlighted Turkish defense industry products. Numerous contracts were signed, ranging from machine guns to ATAK helicopters.
Another noteworthy point was the strong interest of regional countries in the Turkish defense industry. The inventories of the armed forces of Uruguay, Brazil, Chile and Colombia include many weapons produced with the “Made in Türkiye” label. The Uruguayan Armed Forces have Hızır tactical wheeled armored vehicles and Aselsan-produced border surveillance and security systems in their inventory. While Havelsan supplies the Advent Combat Management System to the Chilean Navy, Aselsan also maintains an office in the country. In 2023, Aselsan undertook the Leopard 2A4 modernization project for the Chilean Army, and Otokar is known to be conducting negotiations for armored vehicle exports. In 2025, the defense industry agreement signed with El Salvador also laid the groundwork for cooperation in the region with different actors.
When assessing the equipping of Latin American armed forces by the Turkish defense industry, another key issue that must be addressed is Türkiye’s exports to other countries. The Hürjet trainer aircraft, which will be produced for the Spanish Air Force, stands out as a strong example for Latin American militaries. Unmanned aerial vehicle exports to Poland and the warships to be built for the Malaysian Navy have further strengthened the global recognition of the “Made in Türkiye” brand, encouraging more countries to actively demand Turkish defense industry products. The growing demand became even more evident in 2025, when defense exports exceeded $10 billion, influencing a wide range of regions from South America to Africa.
The intensification of the global conflict environment is also significantly shaping this process. The capture of the Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from within the country’s borders by U.S. Special Forces caused serious concern across many Latin American countries. In particular, tensions with the United States experienced by Colombia, Brazil and Venezuela are forcing these countries to consider alternative military options. The fact that countries increasing cooperation with actors such as Russia and China are threatened with U.S. sanctions further strengthens the search for other alternatives. In this context, the Turkish defense industry, backing the second-largest army within NATO, has the capacity to meet the needs of Latin American armed forces.
Latin American militaries are forces that have not engaged in prolonged regional conflicts with one another for many years. Instead, they have been more actively involved in internal conflicts against terrorism and separatist groups. In this regard, they may take the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) as a model. Having fought regional conflicts and separatist terrorism for decades, the TSK possesses the operational experience that Latin American militaries require. With more than 50 years of sustained investment, the Turkish defense industry therefore holds significant importance.
Compared to its global competitors, the Turkish defense industry is distinguished by two core principles: technology sharing and the avoidance of political conditionality. The risk of external interference in domestic affairs, which is one of the main concerns for Latin American countries, thus makes Türkiye an even stronger alternative. Türkiye’s defense relations with many global actors serve as concrete examples for Latin American states in this regard. Unlike many Western counterparts that refrain from technology transfer or impose political conditions on sales agreements, the Turkish defense industry clearly differentiates itself from its competitors.
Turkish defense industry products are currently used by nearly 111 countries worldwide. Exports include approximately 4,500 armored land vehicles delivered to 40 countries; corvettes supplied to three countries; 140 naval platforms exported to six countries; ammunition and missiles delivered to 42 countries; around 770 UAVs, UCAVs, and loitering munitions exported to 50 countries; electro-optical systems supplied to 20 countries; weapon systems exported to 24 countries; approximately 1,500 kamikaze drones delivered to 11 countries; attack helicopters exported to eight countries; radar systems with around 40 deliveries supplied to 10 countries; and light weapons and pistols exported to 111 countries. In addition, the Hürkuş trainer aircraft has been exported to two countries.
Considering that an additional $10 billion in exports was achieved in 2025, it can be assumed that these figures have continued to rise. Between 2020 and 2025, total defense industry exports increased from $2.3 billion to $10 billion, with an annual export target exceeding $20 billion set for the next five years. At a time when global defense spending is on the rise, this target is expected to be surpassed with relative ease. Estimated to be the world’s tenth-largest defense exporter in 2025, and the Turkish defense industry thus stands out as one of the strongest alternatives capable of equipping Latin American armed forces.
Another critical area of cooperation in providing Turkish defense solutions to Latin American armed forces is technology transfer. Among Latin American countries, Brazil is the only one with a large-scale manufacturing industry. Countries outside Brazil have primarily developed in sectors such as agriculture, services, and energy. As the most significant achievement of Türkiye’s manufacturing sector, the Turkish defense industry can facilitate technology and know-how transfer to the private sectors of Latin American countries through cooperation with their armed forces. In particular, potential manufacturing partnerships with countries such as Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Peru could also encourage Turkish exporting firms to expand into the region.
As Türkiye’s total exports exceed $400 billion when services exports are included, Latin America can be more actively leveraged in order to surpass competing countries and develop next-generation forms of cooperation. Such strategic choices, following the fulfillment of Latin American armed forces’ defense needs, may pave the way for new partnerships across a wide range of sectors. Ultimately, the political, military and national security threats and instabilities faced by Latin American countries coincide with a period in which the Turkish defense industry has emerged as a global actor. From this perspective, a clear conclusion can be drawn: the alternative and strategic cooperation sought by Latin American armed forces positions the Turkish defense industry as the strongest and most reliable partner.
