Turkey Aiming $2 Billion Export Sales By 2016

Turkey is aiming for $2 billion in defence exports sales and $4 billion in domestic production by 2016.

As various national made-in-Turkey programs reach serial production stage after 2016, Turkey will reach for an ambitious defense and aerospace export target of $25 billion in 2023, Latif Aral Alis, chairman of Turkey’s Defense and Aerospace Industry Exporters’ Association was quoted by Defense News.

During the beginning seven months of 2013, the export sales have increased 9 percent from the same period in 2012, with $781 million reach, Alis added.

The Turkish defense industry is aiming for $1.5 billion in exports for the year.

He said aircraft and helicopter parts accounted for most of this year’s exports. The top buyers of Turkish-made equipment were the U.S. and former Soviet republics in Central Asia. Other major export items were armored vehicles, vessels and fast boats, missiles, rockets and launch platforms, light weapons and ammunition, electronic systems (radio, command-and-control systems, simulators, sensors and application software), logistics support products (kitchen, hospital, clothing materials), and engineering and technology transfer services.

Another promising figure was Turkey’s cumulative research and development spending, which has reached $772 million this year, also a record.