Türkiye nears world's top 10 defense exporters

Haluk Görgün, secretary of the Turkish Defense Industries Secretariat (SSB), said the country's defense sector was approaching membership in the world's top 10 exporters as locally developed platforms gain international traction. Speaking at the agency's second anniversary event in Ankara, Görgün noted that foreign delegations visit every week to explore procurement options, with the sector's human capital serving as its primary competitive advantage. "Thanks to its young and skilled workforce, Türkiye is ready to meet the needs of its allies for decades to come," he said.

National Competency Initiative

Görgün stated that the average age of defense industry employees in Türkiye stands at 34, while some companies generating roughly $1 billion in revenue employ staff averaging under 30. The National Competency Initiative, approved at a 2024 defense meeting chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, now reaches approximately 500,000 people across seven target groups ranging from high school students to industry executives. The program has enrolled 2,541 students over five semesters, incorporated 7,000 vocational high school pupils from 13 schools in 12 cities, and delivered 288 university courses to nearly 5,000 attendees, according to the SSB head.

Technological sovereignty

The initiative represents the human resources dimension of Türkiye's national resilience strategy, Görgün said, emphasizing that modern security demands expertise in artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, space exploration and cybersecurity. "Many new fields became decisive in ensuring national security, ranging from artificial intelligence (AI) to quantum technologies, and from space exploration to cybersecurity," he stated. He added: "We're determined to be one of the pioneers in this great technological race, since after all, foreign dependence for critical technologies could spell a silent transfer of sovereignty."

The Defense Career Platform has attracted roughly 290,000 users and 339 companies, offering over 665 training sessions totaling 158,000 hours to 73,000 participants. Erdoğan's vision of full independence for the Turkish defense industry remains the strongest pillar supporting the sector's strategic planning, Görgün noted.