Domestic Sales Push Up Turkish Defense Industries 2014 Orders to $11 Billion

The Turkish defense industry 2014 orders worth has increased to $11 billion largely due to domestic sales, according to a report by the Defense Industry Manufacturers Association (SaSaD) on August 21.

“The lion’s share in the sector growth comes from domestic projects, but domestic projects should not be expected to continue increasing.” Nail Kurt, the chairman of the Turkish Defense Industries Exporters’ Association told Anadolu Agency.

Export and international cooperation projects will therefore determine the sector’s future growth,” Kurt added. Further, a major $6.9 billion order came for aircraft parts in 2014.

The Turkish defense aviation industry is involved in a number of major international joint design and production programs, such as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and A400M Large Transport Aircraft.

Another major $2.6 billion order was for a wide range of tracked and wheeled armored vehicles, which are configured as personnel carriers, reconnaissance vehicles, communication vehicles, command and control vehicles, ambulances or platforms for various weapons.

Overall industry revenue reached over $5.1 billion in 2014, an increase from $5.07 billion in 2013.

The industry’s export capacity was nearly $1.9 billion last year, up from $1.6 billion in the previous year. The defense industry also imported over $1 billion in technology products from abroad.

Turkey also aims to have defense companies among the top 100 major companies in the world, and to create at least three global brands in the defense sector.

The sector has achieved an average annual growth rate of 21 percent for the last five years.

Many of the orders since 2005 have come from the Turkish Armed Forces, in accordance with the development strategies of the Under secretariat for Defense Industries of Turkey.