Türkiye exports defense industry products to 185 countries
Serkan Demirtaş- ANKARA
Türkiye has increased its annual exports of defense industry products by 27 percent in the year 2023, the head of the defense industry presidency has said, informing that around 230 different products were sold to 185 countries in the world.
Turkish Defense Industries President Haluk Görgün evaluated the performance of his agency in 2023 and informed the targets set for 2024 at a meeting with Ankara bureau chiefs of the media outlets in the Turkish capital on January 12.
“I can say that we have fully achieved the targets set for 2023 in every field,” Görgün stressed, informing that one of the efficient ways to measure the success of his agency is the exports of defense industry products.
“In the year 2023, we have broken the record in terms of the exports of the defense industry products. Our defense industry exports increased by 27 percent compared to 2022 and reached a total of $5.5 billion,” Görgün stated. He also informed that new contracts with a total value exceeding $10 billion were also signed in 2023.
“This is the reflection of the confidence towards our defense industry,” he underlined, describing the growing Turkish defense industry as the rising star of Türkiye.
Görgün recalled that the Turkish defense industry products were sold to 170 countries in 2022 and that this number increased to 185 countries in the past year. “We are exporting around 230 different defense industry products,” he said.
Türkiye has become one of the top exporters of drones and armed drones in recent years as these products have proven their quality in both Türkiye and in the countries they are being used.
“For us, the fact that our products are being sold and efficiently used by our friends and allies is good evidence of the success of our industry,” he stated.
Geopolitical changes require deterrence
Türkiye is among five countries that can produce advanced armed drones and among 10 countries that can produce submarines and other sea vessels, Görgün recalled. “We are of the opinion that Türkiye’s deterrence in the face of the changes in the geopolitical balances can only be possible through a strong and national defense industry capacity.”
There will be many good news stories regarding the defense industry achievements in the year 2024, Görgün vowed, informing that Türkiye’s first indigenous fifth-generation fighter jet, KAAN, will perform its first flight.
“KAAN will soon take off. But, at the same time, we have already started our works for the sixth generation warplanes,” Görgün said, adding that KAAN will use the engines to be fully developed and produced by national resources.
Türkiye suspends drone camera supply from Canada
On a question, Görgün announced that Türkiye has suspended its demand to supply drone cameras from Canada, which has been imposing arms sale restrictions to the former. “We have suspended this process. We are producing much better ones, and very soon the serial production of the drone cameras will begin this month,” the president said.
Türkiye has already been producing an older fashion of these cameras and was exporting them to 15 countries, he recalled, stressing that the new ones will be one of the best being used in the world.