From Client to Competitor: The Rise of Turkiye’s Defence Industry

Source:IISS Date:24May2024

Turkiye’s defence industry is at a crossroads, and decision-makers face a difficult choice regarding its future path. On one hand, Turkiye’s long-standing ambition to establish a self-sufficient defence industry has led to considerable industrial growth and increased Ankara’s strategic autonomy by reducing the influence of foreign suppliers. On the other hand, continued goals of self-sufficiency will become increasingly challenging and costly, particularly as the scale and sophistication of modern weaponry evolve and new competitors enter the marketplace.

Although this provides an impetus for increasing industrial cooperation, the development of Turkiye’s defence industry has historically been rooted in its response to Western arms embargoes and the country’s decision-makers are strongly aware of the vulnerability of defence cooperation to foreign influence.