‘Spectacular’ rise of Turkish defense industry makes global headlines
The defense industry, as one of the most dominant Turkish sectors, has long left the sphere of being merely a source of domestic ingenuity and pride – to become more of a “global phenomenon” – evident particularly by the growing interest and media coverage on it recently.
One of the latest examples describing the profound rise of the Turkish arms and defense sector came from the French paper Le Monde, which provided details on the major actors in the field in a comprehensive article while also placing an emphasis on the “Made in Türkiye” motto.
The French newspaper stated that the arms sector in Türkiye has reduced significantly its external dependency, citing it accelerated “exponentially” in just few years.
In its news article titled “The Spectacular Rise of the Arms Sector in Türkiye,” Le Monde drew attention to the steps taken in recent years to strengthen the Turkish defense industry.
The news indicated that with the encouragement of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Turkish dependency on foreign materials decreased from 70% to 30% and noted that the Turkish defense industry, consisting of 2,000 companies, employs 100,000 people and exports to approximately 170 countries.
It also said that the average age of the 4,000 people working at Baykar’s Istanbul’s “ultramodern” headquarters, which is considered one of Türkiye’s best arms manufacturers, is 29. It also mentioned that the unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) produced by the company were used in the Russia-Ukraine war, as well as in conflicts in Karabakh and Libya.
The news noted that Baykar’s “flagship TB2 model” is used in around 30 countries, such as Morocco, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia and Mali, adding: “With seemingly successful results every time. The Ukrainians even dedicated a song to it, to honor it.”
Moreover, the report said that the Turkish army also used these drones against the terrorist organization PKK in northern Iraq in the 2010s, and said: “Since 2016, Baykar has become the leading symbol of Türkiye’s ‘hard power.’ It has not only changed the nature of conflicts, but also allowing the country to rise to power on the world stage.”
The article did not fail to mention the recent agreement for partnership between the company and Italy’s Leonardo, one of the largest defense firms in the world.
“Under the terms of the agreement, the two companies will collaborate on the production of combat drones in Italy. This rapprochement will also extend to the field of space technologies,” it said.
‘Nothing left unmanufactured’
The news, which indicated that the Turkish defense industry has shown rapid growth in the last few years, also emphasized that there is “almost nothing left unmanufactured” in the field of defense in Türkiye, from UAVs to fighter jets.
The article also quoted Global Firepower data on the status of armies, mentioning that Türkiye has the ninth strongest army in the world. While behind countries like the U.S., Russia or China, Le Monde said Türkiye was “ahead of Italy (10th), Pakistan (12th), Germany (14th) and Israel (15th).”
Moreover, it stated that the national defense industry in Türkiye started to develop after the arms embargo imposed by the U.S. during the Cyprus Peace Operation. “However, it was under Erdoğan’s leadership that this acceleration occurred, fueled by the success of Baykar’s drones,” it added.
The news indicated that the defense projects with an annual budget of $5 billion of previous governments reached $60 billion during the term of President Erdoğan and emphasized that many groups were established in the defense industry with the signature “Made in Türkiye.”
The article also mentioned other firms, such as Aselsan, Türkiye’s largest defense electronics company, which produces radar and air defense systems, and missile manufacturer Roketsan.
At the same time, while recalling that initially, Türkiye’s main clients were in the region and beyond, in the Middle East and Africa, it said that today, NATO member countries in Eastern Europe, such as Poland, Romania and Croatia, have also placed orders for Turkish drones.
“But Türkiye’s defense industry is now also gaining a foothold in Western Europe,” it further said, mentioning that in December last year, the Portuguese Navy ordered two replenishment ships from STM. It also listed a memorandum on Hürjet with Spain and Baykar’s acquisition of Italy’s Piaggio Aerospace.
Türkiye’s rapidly growing defense industry, which is deepening its ties with major European nations, has also not gone unnoticed in Greek media, often mentioned in the context of Athens’ wariness amid its historic rivalry with Ankara.
This week’s announcement of the deal between Baykar and Leonardo also made headlines, with prominent publications ranging from The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) to Germany’s business-focused Handelsblatt reporting on it.
