The defense sector, which is one of the best developed in Turkey, has reduced its dependence on materials produced in other countries from 70 to 30 percent, according to an article in the French newspaper "Le Monde", quoted by "Daily Sabah", BTA reported.
In recent years, the Turkish defense industry has grown significantly, and today it is made up of over 2,000 companies that employ over 100,000 people. The sector exports products to over 160 countries, and since the beginning of President Erdogan's rule, defense spending has increased from five billion dollars to 60 billion, Le Monde also points out.
Turkey's main customers are countries in the Middle East and Africa, but recently there has been interest from NATO member states in Eastern Europe. This is the case with Poland, Romania and Croatia, which recently ordered Turkish drones for their armies.
The Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar has played a key role in the rise of the sector, with their Bayraktar TB2 model becoming one of the leaders in the defense market. The French newspaper points out that this model is used in over 30 countries, and is also widely used on the front in Ukraine. The company is expanding its influence in the European market, signing a partnership agreement with Italian defense giant “Leonardo“ last week, and acquiring Italian aviation company “Piaggio Aerospace” late last year.