Turkey increases defense production

By Azernews

By Kamila Aliyeva

Turkey has greatly reduced external dependence in the defense industry, said Turkey’s Defense Minister Fikri Isik.

Isik noted that currently 65 percent of the defense products are produced in Turkey, Turkish media reported on June 22.

“By 2019 we intend to localize 85 percent of the total production of defense products in Turkey,” he said. “The production of military helicopters will be established by 2018.”

Turkey plans to implement about 500 projects in the sphere of defense industry. The total value of these projects will amount to 123 billion liras.

Just 15 years ago, Turkey's defense industry was 80 percent externally dependent.

Defense sector has shown a considerable growth in the last couple of years, with almost all leading arms companies developing new prototypes mostly along with Western partners. 

Turkey’s defense and aerospace exports rose from around $900 million in 2011 to $1.7 billion last year although its exports in 2016 remained largely flat from $1.65 billion in 2015, (a rise of only 1.4 percent), mainly due to problems that hit the country’s exports overall. 

Since 2011, the production of mobile outposts, which have proven themselves in the fight against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants, Canik TP9 pistols, ANKA unmanned aerial vehicles and other military equipment has been established in Turkey.

In May 2013, the Council for Scientific and Technical Research of Turkey (TÜB?TAK) made a proposal for the creation of laser weapons (YGLSS), with which it is planned to equip the ships of the Turkish Navy.

The work within the project will last for six years, and at the first stage two prototypes of laser weapons will be developed. They will be tested in the Black Sea.

The rocket system KAAN, manufactured by Roketsan Company, was presented at the international exhibition of the defense industry IDEF-2017 in Istanbul.

The KAAN missile with a diameter of 610 millimeters is capable of providing effective fire support to army units. It is equipped with an inertial navigation system and a global positioning system (GPS) for applying accurate shocks to targets. A rocket weighing 2.5 tons is capable of carrying a warhead weighing half a ton.