Turkey is steadily expanding its footprint in the global arms market, driven by growing exports of drones, air defense systems and precision-guided munitions. The expansion comes as Russian arms exports decline and competition among weapons-producing nations intensifies, creating opportunities for Ankara to strengthen its position in markets long dominated by established suppliers.
Turkey’s defense exports totaled almost $4.67 billion in the first six months of 2026, up 29.5 percent from the same period last year, Haluk Görgün, head of Turkey’s Defense Industry Agency, said in July in a post on X. Over the previous 12 months, exports topped $11 billion for the first time, he added.
According to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Turkey ranked 11th among the world’s leading arms exporters in the 2021–2025 period, doubling its share of the global market to 1.8 percent from 0.9 percent in 2016–2020.
Russia’s share fell from 21 percent to 6.8 percent over the same period, while China’s edged up to 5.6 percent from 5.5 percent, according to the institute.
Turkey’s exports of major arms by volume rose 122 percent between the two periods, while Russian exports fell by 64 percent and Chinese exports increased by 11 percent.
The global arms market is still dominated by the United States, several European countries, Russia and China, but Turkey is a fast-growing competitor. In a recent speech reported by Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said more than 4,500 companies operate in the sector, a far cry from 2002 when the country relied on imports to meet about 80 percent of its defense needs.
Turkey has made the biggest gains in drones, where it leads the United States and China in recent sales.
A 2024 study published by the Center for a New American Security, a Washington-based think tank, found that Turkish sales accounted for 65 percent of all armed drone sales among the three countries since 2018.
Saudi Arabia Among Turkey’s New Customers
Saudi Arabia is one of Turkey’s biggest new customers for military equipment and support, as tensions have escalated between Riyadh and Yemen’s Houthi movement, which is designated a terrorist organization by the United States.
Sources close to the Turkish authorities told MBN that Ankara had provided Saudi Arabia with military equipment, including air defense systems, drones and precision-guided munitions, as well as electronic warfare systems designed to detect and jam drones.
The sources, who included military researchers and political activists, said the assistance involved HİSAR-O+ air defense systems deployed near strategic Saudi sites and Bayraktar Akıncı drones.
MBN was unable to independently verify the details of the equipment or its deployment locations.
Last week, Reuters quoted an unidentified Turkish official as saying that Turkey’s support for Saudi Arabia included military equipment, intelligence sharing and weapons systems. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also said that Turkey’s contributions focused on air defense.
Turkey’s regional military exports include sales to other countries.
In Iraq, Mahmoud al-Shammari, a member of parliament’s Security and Defense Committee, said in the state-run Al-Sabah newspaper that Ankara has agreed to supply Baghdad with an air defense system.
These sales are part of Turkey’s broader effort to expand its defense exports after decades of relying on foreign suppliers to meet most of its military needs.
Drones and Air Defense Drive Turkey’s Defense Industry
Diaa Qaddour, a political researcher specializing in military and security affairs, told MBN that the use of Turkish weapons in conflicts in Libya, Azerbaijan, Syria and Ukraine strengthened their reputation among prospective buyers.
Russia’s preoccupation with the war in Ukraine, coupled with international sanctions against Moscow, has created opportunities for Turkey to position itself as an alternative supplier in some markets, he said.
Turkish companies produce a wide range of military equipment, including armored vehicles, missiles, precision-guided munitions and electronic warfare systems.
Ankara is also developing a domestic air defense network known as the “Steel Dome.” It incorporates the short-range HİSAR-A system, the medium-range HİSAR-O and the long-range Siper system.
In July, Görgün said the development of the Siper system could eliminate Turkey’s need for foreign air defense systems.
“We are making air defense systems. We don’t need S-300s, S-400s,” he said.
Turkey’s purchase of Russia’s S-400 air defense system led the United States to impose sanctions on its defense industry in 2020 under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, known as CAATSA.
Three Turkish military researchers who spoke to MBN on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue said Ankara was seeking to reduce its reliance on the Russian system while developing domestic capabilities.
According to the researchers, Turkey is moving toward phasing out the Russian system, eventually abandoning it altogether and creating conditions for the lifting of U.S. sanctions. There has been no official Turkish decision or timetable announced for the phaseout.
Turkish Arms Exports Reach Europe, Asia and Africa
In recent years, Turkish arms exports have expanded to countries across Europe, Asia and Africa, including nations with security and economic ties to Russia and China.
European markets have included Poland and Ukraine, while Azerbaijan has received Turkish military equipment used in its confrontations with Armenia.
In September 2022, then-Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu announced that Malaysia and Indonesia had expressed interest in buying armed drones from the Turkish company Baykar, according to Reuters.
A June report by ThinkChina examined Turkey’s defense cooperation with Asian countries that have disputes with China or compete with Beijing strategically.
According to the report, Ankara has emphasized joint production, component supplies and cooperation on dual-use technologies in these markets, rather than relying exclusively on exports of fully assembled combat systems.
This approach offers Turkish companies opportunities to enter new markets while Ankara preserves its economic and political ties with Beijing.
Turkey Still Trails Russia and China
According to SIPRI, Russia and China remained the world’s third- and fifth-largest exporters of major arms in the 2021–2025 period, well ahead of Turkey in 11th place.
But Taha Oudaoglu, a researcher specializing in international relations and Turkish political affairs, said competitive prices, favorable sales terms and the ability to respond quickly to buyers’ requirements had helped Turkish companies enter new markets. Turkish companies have tailored military products to the needs of importing countries, he added.
Qaddour noted that countries in the Middle East and the Gulf continue to diversify their sources of military equipment while maintaining relationships with traditional suppliers to obtain advanced systems, such as fighter jets and long-range air defense capabilities.
Adapted and translated from the original Arabic.
