ISTANBUL

Turkish defense and aviation exports amounted to $10.05 billion in 2025, up 48% year-on-year, the head of Türkiye's Defense Industries Secretariat said on Saturday.

Speaking at a ceremony disclosing foreign trade figures in Istanbul, Haluk Gorgun told Anadolu that 2026 was a year of record-breaking figures for Türkiye in terms of overall exports as well as in the defense industry.

He said the country continued to break records every month in 2025 compared to the previous year, adding that a historic record was achieved in December with defense and aviation exports exceeding $2.5 billion.

In 2025, defense and aviation exports in goods totaled $9.87 billion while the figure was $184 million in the services side.

He said new defense contracts grew around 80% in 2025, recalling that the sector's exports were $7.1 billion in 2024.

"In terms of creating outstanding orders from the contracts signed, we completed 2024 with $10 billion in new contracts, and 2025 with $17.8 billion, which is a 78% growth," he said.

Gorgun added that the increase in defense industry exports could be more clearly expressed by looking at its share in Türkiye's overall exports. "In 2022, we exported $4.4 billion, and the share of defense and aviation exports in Türkiye's overall exports was 1.7%.

"Today, the share of defense and aviation exports in Türkiye's overall exports has reached 3.7%."

He further noted that the outcome was made possible by companies producing high-quality and cost-effective products, and providing after-sales support and assurance.

Gorgun reminded that the country announced many new contracts and great successes with the public last year, saying: "We signed a military ship export contract with Portugal.

"Towards the end of the year, we signed a contract with Spain, one of the world's leading countries in aviation, for the HURJET training aircraft."

In June, Türkiye signed a contract for fighter jet KAAN with Indonesia and contract for an Offshore Patrol Vessel was signed with Romania, he added.

Explaining that many UAV contracts were signed in the Gulf and Africa regions, along with ammunition contracts, he emphasized that the country closed 2025 with a new contract record of $17.8 billion.

Gorgun said the sector sees 2026 as a year in which deliveries will increase and new records will be broken.

"Looking at the countries we mainly exported to last year, four of the top 10 countries are European and one is the US," he said. "Looking at the total ratio, approximately $5.6 billion, or 56%, of the $10 billion in exports went to the EU, NATO countries, and the US. Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa followed."