Turkey’s defense and aerospace industry achieved a historic milestone in March 2025, posting one of its strongest monthly export performances to date. According to Haluk Görgün, President of the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB), exports surged from $358 million in March 2024 to $884 million this March — a record-breaking 147% year-on-year increase. The growth reflects both the rising maturity of Turkish defense programs and the increasing global demand for high-value indigenous defense products.

Görgün also highlighted the strong performance in the first quarter of the year, with sectoral exports reaching $1.7 billion, up 72% compared to the same period last year. He credited this success to the export strategy led by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, emphasizing Turkey’s active international cooperation and outreach efforts that have enabled local defense firms to sell to nearly every region of the world.

The SSB’s export strategy prioritizes not just quantity but also the export of high-value defense technologies — including UAVs, precision-guided munitions, radar and communication systems, naval platforms, and air defense systems. This shift towards advanced, high-margin products has increased the overall value of exports while expanding Turkey’s participation in joint production, modernization, and sustainment programs abroad.

Görgün also underlined the agency’s goal of broadening the export base beyond major corporations such as ASELSAN, TUSAŞ, ROKETSAN, and HAVELSAN. Future export policies will focus on integrating SMEs and suppliers into the international market, making defense exports a sustainable and inclusive growth driver for the entire sector. This transformation aims to ensure that Turkey’s defense industry continues to grow through self-sufficiency and global competitiveness.