The meeting was attended by SSB’s Deputy President of Corporate Development and Talent Management Hakan KARATAŞ, Vice President of Aviation Systems Gökhan UÇAR, Vice President of Systems and Platforms Mustafa Murat ŞEKER, Vice President of Industrialization and Strategic Planning İhsan KAYA, Vice President of Strategic Systems Hüseyin AVŞAR, and Press Counselor to the SSB Berkan KARAKURT. 

In his speech, Secretary GÖRGÜN highlighted the growth and development of the Turkish Defense and Aerospace Industry, emphasizing that they are not only producing for their own security forces but also for end-users in need of these technologies worldwide. He stressed the necessity of developing infrastructure and human resources to achieve this production, noting that SSB is working to elevate both human capital and competencies to the highest level. 

GÖRGÜN underscored that Turkish Defense and Aerospace Industry products will continue to be widely used across the globe, announcing plans to organize defense industry camps and introduce a defense industry curriculum in all high schools. Pointing to Turkish President Recep Tayyip ERDOĞAN’s emphasis on strength in defense as a means to contribute to world peace through deterrence, GÖRGÜN said, “The more deterrent and powerful we are, the more we contribute to protecting our country and to world peace. We must have the capabilities to be deterrent when needed. This is the perspective we work with.” 

He noted that seeking alternative solutions is natural when resources are limited, adding, “We will host two major NATO events in Türkiye—one in Istanbul and one in Ankara. Bringing these events to Türkiye is significant.”

Drawing attention to the Turkish Defense and Aerospace Industry’s export of 230 different products to 180 countries in 2024, GÖRGÜN stated: “Rather than listing the countries we export to, I could mention those we don’t—like Bhutan, Burundi, Dominican Republic, Malawi, Macao, and the Seychelles—countries that may not have significant defense or security concerns or budgets. Our defense industry has become the shining star of a strengthening Türkiye. Looking at recent developments and export figures, we rank 11th among defense-exporting countries globally. While meeting the needs of the battlefield, SSB also strives to maintain, improve, and enhance the products we deliver, while preparing for the future operational environment. With over 3,500 sector companies, more than 1,100 projects, an R&D budget nearing $3 Billion, a localization rate reaching 80%, and a project volume exceeding $100 Billion, we achieved exports of $7.154 Billion in 2024—a 29% increase over the previous year.” 

GÖRGÜN detailed that the Turkish Defense and Aerospace Industry exported over 4,500 land vehicles to 40 countries, corvettes to 3 countries, approximately 140 naval platforms to over 10 countries, munitions and missiles to 42 countries, and UAVs, Armed UAVs, and UCAVs to over 50 countries. He added, “We exported electro-optical systems and stabilized weapon systems to more than 20 countries, helicopters to 8 countries, radars to 10 countries, weapons, rifles, and pistols of various sizes to 111 countries, and HÜRKUŞ aircraft to 2 countries. We are exporting across the entire spectrum, beyond just production. Of the 3,500 firms in the defense sector, 1,600 have exported, with 169 achieving exports of $1 Million or more. We have the capability to meet needs anywhere in the world.” 

“With nearly 100,000 employees in the defense industry and $7 Billion in exports, our per-employee export revenue exceeds $70.000,” GÖRGÜN said, comparing this to Lockheed Martin in the U.S. ($150.000 per employee), Rafael in Israel ($240.000), and Indra in Spain ($50.000), while noting that Türkiye’s BAYKAR Technology achieves $300.000 per employee. “As Secretary of Defense Industries, I extend special thanks to BAYKAR. This is the result of synergy,” he added. 

GÖRGÜN noted that five of the top 10 export destinations are European countries, with UAVs, Armed UAVs, smart munitions, military helicopters, and radar systems being the most exported products. He highlighted that ASELSAN’s ASELFLIR-500—an advanced electro-optical reconnaissance, surveillance, and targeting system developed for fixed-wing and rotary-wing platforms, including UAVs, helicopters, and aircraft—was exported to 16 countries in 2024. The ÇAKIR and SUNGUR missiles were exported for the first time in 2024, and Türkiye’s long-range air defense systems began entering foreign inventories, positioning Türkiye as an exporter of air defense systems. “Systems with significant battlefield impact, such as cruise systems and MANPADS (Man-portable air-defense systems), have gained acceptance and been exported. HAVELSAN exported a simulator for the Airbus A320 passenger aircraft, demonstrating how military capabilities are applied in other fields to benefit the national economy,” GÖRGÜN said. He also announced that testing of the thermal model for the GÖKTÜRK-II Renewal Satellite had begun at TUSAŞ. Aiming to double the current $7.154 Billion export figure to double-digit billions within two years, GÖRGÜN revealed that export contracts signed in 2023 and 2024 exceed $20 Billion in total value. 

He noted that Europe was the top export region last year and the region with the most contracts signed, adding, “We value progressing with strategic countries through broad solutions in the consortia we initiated last year. We see long-term partnerships in defense technologies as precious.” According to the data shared, 27% of 2024 exports went to Europe, 25% to the U.S., and NATO member countries accounted for over 50% of total exports. 

GÖRGÜN emphasized coordinated efforts among companies like ASELSAN, ROKETSAN, land vehicle manufacturers, and UAV producers within the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation (TSKGV) ecosystem, saying, “We’re seeing the benefits of this approach, and we’ll share good news about it in 2025 soon. With high localization rates in our platforms, we foster an ecosystem that nourishes the entire sector.” 

He explained that defense products are not off-the-shelf items but follow a production timeline, noting that limited proliferation hinders technological and economic growth. “Otherwise, you’re left procuring subsystems or equipment only when absolutely necessary,” he said. GÖRGÜN highlighted efforts to apply defense technologies to civilian sectors, such as urban systems, electric rail transport, signaling systems, health technologies, and radar technologies, citing traffic radars used by law enforcement as an example of defense-derived products in use today. 

Recalling that two Defense Industry Executive Committee (SSİK) meetings were held in 2024, GÖRGÜN said nearly 90 projects were finalized, with approximately $7 Billion worth of contracts signed. With Türkiye’s 2025 security budget set at 1.6 Trillion TRY, he remarked, “These figures show that our defense and security efforts are far from negligible.” 

GÖRGÜN stated that the systems delivered domestically in 2024 alone contributed at least $40 Billion to the economy. Outlining 2025 plans focusing on over 200 projects, he summarized: “This year, we will deliver at least three ALTAY Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) from serial production to the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF). Serial production began this year and continues, with all subcontractors, SSB, and the main contractor working intensively. Hopefully, we’ll make the first delivery this year—perhaps during one of our holidays—and complete three deliveries by year-end. We faced an unfortunate process due to external factors like embargoes and unavailable subsystems despite payments. Finding alternatives and developing local solutions took time, but this year, we’ll deliver serially produced tanks to our Land Forces—an excellent tank, with two already delivered and tested. HÜRKUŞ aircraft deliveries will begin in 2025. The second KAAN is under production, with six prototypes planned. We’ll deliver the National Combat Aircraft KAAN in 2028, and by the 2030s, will use a locally developed engine (36,000lb thrust). Initial deliveries will use foreign engines.” 

On sixth-generation aircraft, GÖRGÜN observed that globally, the term is defined before its content is developed. “We prefer to pioneer with our own approach, creating doctrines no one else has. We’ve started sixth-generation activities and are open to collaboration with friendly nations,” he said. Highlighting efforts on joint manned-unmanned platform operations, he added, “This reflects sixth-generation fighter jet and air system concepts. Controlling ANKA-III from HÜRJET—directing an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from a manned aircraft for the first time—is a major achievement. Our teams continue advancing these technologies.” 

GÖRGÜN noted that radars meeting the range needs of the Land and Air Forces, previously sourced abroad, have been produced and delivered domestically. On the National Aircraft Carrier (MUGEM) Project timeline, he said, “We foresee 4-5 years for the carrier under construction. We aim to complete the TF-2000 Air Defense Destroyer, National Submarine MİLDEN, and the carrier in similar timeframes, avoiding the seven-year delays of the past. Detailed planning for production locations, methods, responsibilities, and designs is complete.” Regarding long-range missile projects like TAYFUN, he responded, “We continue gaining deterrent capabilities. We’re enhancing infrastructure for serial production and exploring new solutions. If testing facilities are insufficient, seeking alternatives is natural, and our efforts persist.” 

Turkish Defense and Aerospace Industry 2024 Export Data

According to data released by the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM) in early January 2025, Turkish Defense and Aerospace Industry recorded exports of $996.862 Million in December 2024—an increase of 38.8% compared to $718.289 Million in December 2023. The sector’s annual export figure for January 1 to December 31, 2024, was approximately $6.735 Billion. 

On January 3, 2025, Secretary of Defense Industries Haluk GÖRGÜN shared via social media: “In 2024, our defense and aerospace industry exports, including NATO and service exports, rose 29% to $7.154 Billion, setting a new record! This exceeded our 2024 target of $6.5 Billion by 11%. We’ll keep breaking records and advancing Türkiye’s technological strength with our products and innovations. In 2025, we’ll continue working with determination to achieve sustained export growth in high-value products.” 

The 2024 export champions of the Turkish Defense and Aerospace Industry were also announced, with awards presented during the “Global Strategies in Defense and Aerospace Industry Conference” held in Antalya from January 30 to February 2, 2025. The ranking of 2024 export leaders is as follows: 

BAYKAR: $1.831 Billion (2023: $1.766 Billion) 

TUSAŞ: $750 Million (2023: $864 Million) 

ASFAT: $644 Million 

MKE: $610 Million (2023: $439 Million) 

ARCA SAVUNMA: $600 Million 

TEI: $390 Million (2023: $337 Million) 

ASELSAN: $217 Million (2023: $108 Million) 

RAM Dış Ticaret (OTOKAR): $193 Million (2023: $160 Million) 

ROKETSAN: $179 Million (2023: $161 Million) 

SAMSUN YURT SAVUNMA (SYS): $166 Million (2023: $104 Million)

* These figures exclude service and other sales.

On February 1, 2025, Secretary of Defense Industries Haluk GÖRGÜN posted on social media: “These firms, raising our flag on the global stage, reflect the collective intellect, synergy, and innovation culture in our sector. I thank all our companies transforming global warfare doctrines, our subcontractors contributing to local production, our 92,000-strong defense industry workforce, and every member of SSB for their efforts.” 

Meanwhile, ASELSAN General Manager Ahmet AKYOL shared striking figures on the company’s 2024 export performance via social media on February 1, 2025: “Our ‘export-focused growth’ strategy bore fruit in 2024. We doubled our direct exports to $217 Million from the previous year, with $291 Million in indirect exports via land, sea, and air platforms, totaling $508 Million. We signed over $1 Billion in new export contracts, secured first export deals for 31 products, and signed initial contracts with 7 countries. ASELSAN will continue direct exports of high-tech products like radars, electro-optics, communications, electronic warfare, avionics, and weapon systems, strengthening our national ships, vehicles, aircraft, and armed UAVs in global competition while adding value to the sector and country”