Turkey racks up $150 mln in defense exports to Tunisia

ANKARA- Anadolu Agency

The Turkish defense industry racked up impressive exports totaling $150 million to Tunisia at year’s-end, the head of the country's Defense Industries Presidency (SSB) said on Dec. 24. 

Under SSB coordination, “a total of five companies have exported various vehicles such as tankers and tanks, electro-optic systems to the country, which will be at the service of Tunisian security forces," Ismail Demir said on Twitter, saying the SSB held a defense industry cooperation meeting with Tunisia via video link.

The products include Turkish Aerospace Industries' (TAI) Anka medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), BMC’s Kirpi mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicle, Nurol Makina’s Ejder Yalcin armored vehicles, various Katmerciler vehicles such as tankers and tanks, and Turkish defense giant ASELSAN’s electro-optic systems.

The Turkish government has long sought to make the nation a global player in the defense industry, with the technology-oriented and research-and-development-based defense industry policies gaining momentum every day, according to Demir.