Page 7 - Global Power Turkish Defence Industry

Turkey’s growing military industry contributes Defence exports record buoyant start in 2019,
to economy, military power soar 64.4 pct
“Also, if a country’s defence capabilities are As well as providing for the needs of the Turkish
not derived from its own resources, you cannot military and aiming to expand footholds in the
maintain national security to the full extent,” overseas markets to ensure sustainable growth,
National Defence Minister Akar said. the Turkish defence industry has made a productive
start in 2019 with January export figures.
In recent years, Turkey took a noticeable leap
forward with innovative engineering moves in the As a result of the development of the Turkish
defence industry and domestically-developed defence and aerospace industry, the platforms,
military equipment and combat vehicles in almost systems and products are in demand around the
all fields of warfare, most notably the Altay world.
Main Battle Tank, the ATAK T-129 Tactical Attack
and Reconnaissance Helicopter and the ANKA The sectoral actors, striving to expand their trade
Hulusi AKAR unmanned aerial vehicle as well as other air and volume with the existing markets, are also aiming
to add new destinations. As a result of these
land platforms developed by Turkey’s leading
Minister of National Defence private defence companies, primarily the TB2 efforts, the value of defence exports has seen
Bayraktar developed and manufactured by Baykar gradual increases.
Makina.
According to the data of the Turkish Exporters
Pointing out that some Turkish companies have Assembly, defence exports were recorded at
entered top 100 defence industry firms worldwide, $2.03 billion last year and maintained the rising
Akar said Turkey’s own sufficiency rates have trend in the first month of this year. The exports
almost reached 70 percent; while Turkish defence of the industry rose to $175 million in January,
and aviation industry exports have surpassed $2 registering a 64.4 percent rise compared to the
billion last year. same period of last year when the sector’s sales
to overseas markets totaled $106.5 million.
According to Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM)
data, the export performance of the sector in Following the shipping and yacht industry and
2018 increased by 17 percent compared to 2017. the jewelry sector, seeing 116.2 percent and 93.8
The industry broke its own record of $1.7 billion percent increases respectively, the defence
in November and moved the record up to $2.03 industry came third in the list of sectors that
billion by the end of the year. The defence and registered the highest rise in exports last month.
aerospace industry, whose export performance The 12-month defence exports reached $2.1 billion.
has been hovering between $1.5 billion and $2
billion, exceeded the threshold of $2 billion for the The U.S. was the top destination for Turkish
first time. defence exports, and the sector’s sales to the
country soared by 41 percent, reaching $64.2
In addition to increased exports, the sector has million. The U.S. was followed by Oman with $49.4
also significantly diversified the markets to which million and Germany came third in the list with
it exports. Ankara recently inked noteworthy $18.4 million. Defence exports to Germany rose
defence deals with various countries including by 25 percent in January.
Pakistan and Ukraine. In May 2017, Turkish and
Pakistani defence companies struck a deal Turkey also exported defence products to the
for the construction of four Turkish Ada class countries that were not on the list in January
MİLGEM (National Ship) corvettes. The project, a 2018. These countries include Guatemala, India,
first between Pakistan and Turkey in terms of the Guiana, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago.
construction of military vessels, stands out as an
exemplary and original cooperation in the field of
defence and shipbuilding. Also, last month, Turkey
and Ukraine signed an agreement on the purchase
of 12 Turkish Bayraktar Tactical Block 2 (TB2)
unmanned aerial vehicles for the Ukrainian army.

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