Turkey nearing top 10 global defence exporters

Turkey is close to entering the world’s top 10 defence equipment-exporting countries as confidence in its domestic technologies and military platforms grows. Haluk Gorgun, head of Turkey’s Defence Industry Agency (SSB), said the sector’s progress was driven by a young, skilled workforce and continued investment in emerging technologies.

Gorgun said Turkish-made defence platforms have gained strong international demand, with the SSB and its partners receiving several foreign delegations every week. He added that the average age of defence-sector workers is 34, while employees at some companies generating around $1 billion in revenue are under 30 on average. He also highlighted the National Competence Initiative, approved in 2024, which focuses on strengthening expertise in artificial intelligence, quantum technology, space research and cybersecurity. Gorgun said reducing foreign dependence on critical technologies is essential to protecting national sovereignty.

Under the initiative, 11 training programmes have reached nearly 500,000 people across seven categories, from students to senior executives. The programmes include thousands of students across vocational schools and universities, while the Defence Industry Campus Programme has also trained 3,000 participants in eight cities.Meanwhile, the Defence Career Platform has about 290,000 users and 339 participating organisations, providing more than 73,000 users with around 665 training sessions. Gorgun said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s vision of achieving self-reliance in defence remains the key pillar of Turkey’s strategic plans for the sector.