Türkiye’s defense industry has become one of the world’s top 10 defense exporters by minimizing its dependence on foreign sources for key technologies, the Head of the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB), Haluk Görgün, said.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) on the SSB’s 40th anniversary, Görgün said the sector has reached a level where it not only meets domestic needs but also exports high-value products, technology and know-how to allied nations.

“Our self-sufficiency used to be very limited,” Görgün said. “We have advanced from direct procurement to joint production, and now to original designs and innovative, self-sufficient products that have transformed the battlefield.”

He said the determination shown by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the early 2000s played a key role in opening the way for local defense firms and engineers.

“Thanks to the President’s continued support and leadership in promoting local production, infrastructure and human capital through the National Competence and National Technology Initiatives, we have reached an impressive level,” Görgün said.

The official noted that each successful project has boosted confidence and paved the way for major systems such as the Kaan fighter jet, the TCG Anadolu amphibious assault ship, MILGEM-class corvettes, the Altay tank, and Türkiye’s expanding fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles, including the Kızılelma combat drone.

“Today we describe our defense ecosystem as an army of technology with nearly 100,000 members,” he said.

Görgün highlighted the importance of young engineers and scientists, saying Türkiye’s defense industry must continue to motivate them to tackle complex problems.

Under the “National Competence Initiative,” the SSB aims to prepare youth to work on high technology through education, training and research programs. “We are currently managing nearly 1,400 projects, and I can say this initiative is our most important one,” Görgün said.

The projects under the SSB now exceed $100 billion in value, employing nearly 100,000 people. The sector’s exports reached $7.1 billion last year, up 29% from the previous year, while exports in the first 10 months of 2025 rose 31% to $6.7 billion, according to Görgün.

He said the defense industry’s annual research and development budget stands at around $3 billion, accounting for 3.5% of Türkiye’s total exports.

Görgün also noted that Türkiye has over 3,500 defense firms, about 1,600 of which export to more than 180 countries.

“We have achieved a lot, but there’s still much to do,” Görgün said. “We must not only produce technology, but also lead and manage it.”

Meanwhile, Türkiye’s leading defence electronics company, ASELSAN, has announced its inflation-adjusted financial results for the first nine months of 2025, showcasing one of the strongest growth periods in its history. The company’s revenue surged by 12.3% in real terms compared to the same period last year, reaching USD 3.0 billion.

ASELSAN’s order performance was particularly impressive, with new orders soaring by 76% year-on-year to USD 5.7 billion.

Continuing its strong export-oriented growth strategy, ASELSAN signed direct and indirect export contracts worth USD 1.45 billion, representing an exceptional 171% increase compared with the same period in 2024.

This surge reflects ASELSAN’s success in broadening its global reach across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa through high-technology solutions in radar, electronic warfare, communications, and electro-optics.

The company’s order backlog climbed 42% year-on-year, reaching USD 17.9 billion, marking one of the largest backlogs ever recorded in Türkiye’s defence sector.

Investments in serial-production infrastructure nearly doubled to USD 200 million, while R&D expenditures rose 40% to USD 925 million, reinforcing ASELSAN’s position as Türkiye’s innovation engine in defence technologies. (AA; ASELSAN; Photo © AA)