Turkey’s defense and aerospace industry exports increased by 27% in 2023 to $5.5 billion compared with 2022, contributing 2.3% to the country’s total exports last year, according to data shared by Türkiye Exporters’ Assembly (TİM).
TIM is a local Turkish organization that tracks foreign sales.
Turkey recorded total exports worth $255.8 billion in 2023, compared with $254.2 billion a year ago.
From January through November, Turkey’s outbound defense and aerospace shipments stood at $4.8 billion, compared to $4.4 billion in 2022, according to TIM data shared on January 2. Defense exports in December alone rose more than 11% year over year to $719 million, marking the highest monthly figure last year, TİM’s data revealed.
Turkey’s defense exports surpassed the $1 billion mark for the first time in 2011 and rose above $2 billion in 2018 before surpassing the $3 billion mark in 2019. According to the Defense Industry Agency, the Turkish defense industry’s total turnover climbed from $1.1 billion in 2002 to $12.2 billion in 2022.
The number of projects carried out by Turkish defense firms soared to more than 850 in 2023 from 62 in 2002.
Four Turkish companies including Aselsan (60th), Baykar(76th), Turkish Aerospace Industries, and Roketsan (100th), secured spots on the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s (SIPRI) Top 100 list for 2022 shared in December 2023. These companies had a combined arms revenue of $5.5 billion.
Top 10 Turkish defense exporters
The top 10 Turkish exporters contributed to nearly 80% of the total defense export revenue, according to Gorgun. Prominent companies, their areas of expertise, and their foreign sales figures are mentioned below:
- Baykar (drones): $1.8 billion
- Turkish Aerospace Industries (aerospace systems): $864 million
- Machinery and Chemical Industry (ammunition, explosives and guns): $439 million
- Tusas Engine Industries (aerospace engines): $337 million
- BMC (military vehicles): $255 million
- Roketsan (missiles): $161 million
- Ram Dis Ticaret (military vehicles): $160 million
- Pratt & Whitney’s Turkish Technik (repair and overhaul services): $111 million
- Aselsan (electronics): $108 million
- Samsun Yurt Savunma (aerospace and firearms): $104 million