By Asif Haseen and Monalisa Dash
Dr. Hulk Gorgun, head of Turkish Defense Industry President, recently said 2024 will be a fruitful year for the booming arms industry. He informed Ankara that there are record exports of defense equipment in dozens of countries, over US$7 billion.
Sipri Report 2024 also highlights Turkey’s burgeoning revenues from arms exports amid the ongoing Russian-crane conflict.
Furthermore, the recent agreement between Turkey and Bangladesh to purchase Turkish weapons, signed in January this year, shows the spread of the defense industry in the South Asian defence market, which is attracting international attention. .
Trajectories of Türkiye’s foreign and defence strategies
Historically, Turkey has been one of the key Western allies, a member and largest contributor of the strategic geographical distribution and NATO military. This relationship was made by Ankara relying on weapons and maintained the import of defence technology from the West.
However, during the Cyprus crisis of 1974, the shift in Ankara’s defense strategy from importers to independence in arms production occurred, followed by a sour link with the West and a shocking arms embargo by NATO-aly USA. It continued.
Furthermore, following the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union, Turkey adopted an external diplomatic strategy that called it to strengthen its military and defence territory.
After taking office in 2002, Receptacle Tayyip Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) solidified the political and economic landscape of Turkey. His most notable diplomatic measures were his assertive foreign policy, assigning Ankara the status of “middle power” and its neighbourhood and even greater role.
To this end, under his leadership, Ankara designed foreign and security policies to achieve “strategic depth” and harvested the Ottoman Islamic past with its important geography and influential and increasingly demands that they play the role of security providers in the unstable Asian regions of West Asia. And after that.
Turkey has the second largest military in the world, the eighth largest in the world, and the 11th largest exporter in the world defence market. The Turkish defense industry has attracted special attention from President Erdogan, who views it as a stabilizing factor in the collapsed economy.
His government has actively expanded its support for Turkish defence companies. Data shows that the thriving industry invites new contracts and projects of between USD 100 and USD 15 billion each year, generating revenues of USD 26 billion and supporting the Turkish economy.
Defense Technology and Capabilities: From Importers to Innovators
Turkey has been driven by its quest for self-sufficiency and domestic production of strategic weapons and domestic production, and has recently invested heavily in R&D and has invested in incentive private players in military industrial complexes.
In particular, the air force is being amplified. Turkish unmanned aerial vehicles, known as drones such as Aksungur, Akinci, Anka and TB-2, have attracted international attention since 2018, as Türkiye has accounted for 65% of global UAV sales.
They have been deployed in several war zones, including the Libyan civil war, Kurdish operations in Syria, and the Tigray region of Ethiopia, demonstrating the progress and reliability of Turkish weapons.
In 2020 and 2023, using Turkish UAV Bayraktar TB-2 to demonstrate the efficiency and sophistication of Turkish defence technology, Azerbaijan counters Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. , became prominent when Azerbaijan won against Armenia in the conflict between Nagorno and Karabakh.
The contributions of defense companies are worthy of praise in making Turkey the hub of defence manufacturing. In particular, direct state support encourages them to invest in research and innovation.
Recently, Turkish aerospace industry announced plans to double the production of its fifth-generation fighter aircraft, TF Kaan.
Additionally, the production of Otokar Arma Armored Vehicles, specially designed for the T129 ATAK helicopter, Altay Main Battle Tank, and Modern Warfare, has attracted the attention of the global arms industry.
Recently, Turkish defense companies have signed Mous with several countries for the joint production of Turkish weapons, including Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia and Indonesia, and have signed Mous with the global arms market. It will enhance Turkey’s strategic position.
Recently, Saudi Arabia, the largest buyer of US weapons, has expressed interest in purchasing Turkish fifth-generation fighter jets, Kaan, indicating the kingdom’s willingness to diversify its defense market.
Turkish defence products also have a significant market share between the Gulf countries, particularly the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
However, its biggest defense Bonanza comes from the African market, with countries in the Horn of Africa and Sahel choosing to buy Turkish weapons and ammunition.
Türkiye’s military influence in India’s backyards
Turkey supplies arms to Bangladesh, Pakistan and the Maldives. Turkey’s ties with India have caused concerns to arm India’s neighbors, which have tense relations with New Delhi, raising concerns in key regional power and “net security providers” Given the fact that Turkish ties with India, which was the Turkish attempt that caused the region, took Ankara’s position sour.
The recent agreement between Türkiye and Bangladesh has raised security concerns in New Delhi.
In 2024, the Maldives also signed a defence agreement with Turkey, leading to the deployment of Turkish drones in an exclusive economic zone. The rising shadow of turkeys in Indian backyards poses a security threat and challenges India’s status quo on the subcontinent.
Future future
The Turkish defense industry has witnessed an astonishing transformation of the country as a key competitor in the global arms market due to weapons efficiency, affordability and battlefield proven technology.
However, its growth has been mitigated by several challenges, including foreign technologies and components, Western sanctions, IE, CAATSA and the dependence on contracted domestic economies.
However, Turkey’s strategic push for self-reliance demonstrates its resilience and ambitions towards foreign policy. That rise illustrates the strategic shift in global defence markets where emerging forces like Turkey and India are shaping geopolitical landscapes.
