09.03.2025 09:50
The French newspaper Le Monde has scrutinized the Turkish defense industry. It was reported that these state-of-the-art vehicles have been used in the Russia-Ukraine War, Nagorno-Karabakh, and Libya. The article stated that Turkey has the 9th strongest army in the world.
The leading French media outlet Le Monde highlighted the steps taken in recent years to strengthen the Turkish defense industry in its news article titled "The Dazzling Rise of the Arms Sector in Turkey."
The article pointed out that, with the encouragement of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Turkish army's dependence on foreign materials has decreased from 70% to 30%. It was noted that the Turkish defense industry, consisting of 2,000 firms, provides employment for 100,000 people and exports to approximately 170 countries. The article mentioned that the average age of the 4,000 employees at Baykar, one of Turkey's leading weapon manufacturers, is 29, and it was reported that the Armed Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) produced by the company has been used in the Russia-Ukraine War, Nagorno-Karabakh, and Libya.
"PROVIDED TURKEY WITH RISE IN THE INTERNATIONAL ARENA"
The article stated that Baykar's flagship UAV, the TB2, is used in about 30 countries, including Morocco, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, and Mali, and included the statement, "(TB2) appears to be successful every time. The Ukrainians dedicated a song to honor it." It was noted that the Turkish army also used these UAVs against the PKK terrorist organization in northern Iraq during the 2010s, and the article evaluated that "since 2016, Baykar has become a leading symbol of Turkey's hard power, not only changing the nature of conflicts but also facilitating the country's rise in the international arena." The article reported that Baykar and Leonardo, one of Europe's largest defense firms, signed an agreement on March 6, and that the two companies will produce unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in Italy.
"THE WEAPON EMBARGO IMPOSED BY THE USA BENEFITED THE NATIONAL DEFENSE MOVEMENT"
The article pointed out that the Turkish defense industry has shown rapid growth in recent years, emphasizing that there is almost nothing that is not produced in Turkey in the defense sector, from UAVs to fighter jets. According to Global Firepower data, which reports on the status of armies, it was stated that Turkey has the 9th strongest army in the world. The article expressed that the development of the national defense industry in Turkey began after the weapon embargo imposed by the USA during the Cyprus Peace Operation.
The article noted that under President Erdoğan's administration, the development of the national defense industry in Turkey has accelerated, and that the success of Baykar's UAVs has further accelerated this process. It was pointed out that the annual defense project budget of previous governments, which was $5 billion, has reached $60 billion during President Erdoğan's term, and it emphasized that many groups have been established in the defense industry with the "Made in Turkey" label. The article stated that ASELSAN, Turkey's largest defense electronics company, is one of the specialized firms in the sector with radar and air defense systems, and that the largest buyers of Turkish military equipment are countries in the Near East and Africa, but orders are now also coming from Eastern Europe.