Türkiye aims for top 10 in global defense exports, Erdogan says

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared Tuesday that Türkiye’s primary defense industry objective is to accelerate the production of high-tech weaponry and vault the nation into the global top 10 of defense exporters. Speaking at the inauguration of Roketsan’s new facilities in Ankara, Erdogan set a target of $11 billion in defense and aerospace exports by 2028. He noted that Türkiye’s defense exports have grown from just $248 million in 2002 to over $10 billion last year, with first-quarter 2026 exports rising 12.1% year-on-year to $1.91 billion.

New Roketsan facilities to boost missile and air defense output

Erdogan announced that new Roketsan facilities totaling $3 billion have been inaugurated, and a new missile integration site has broken ground. These investments, he said, will further enhance the deterrent power of the Turkish Armed Forces. “With the systems that make up the striking power of the Steel Dome reaching a higher production tempo, we will further strengthen our air defense architecture,” Erdogan stated. Steel Dome is Türkiye’s integrated layered air defense system, bringing together domestically developed radar, missile, electronic warfare, and command systems to protect Turkish airspace at multiple altitudes and ranges.

Türkiye as a ‘founding actor’ in new global order

Erdogan emphasized that Türkiye now holds a position in the defense industry that is “admired around the world.” He said: “Today, Türkiye is a country that protects its own airspace, equips its own platforms, and develops its own munitions. We are doing all this with our own human resources.” He also declared that Türkiye is among the “founding actors of a new order” in which global rules and processes are being reshaped, helping determine the course of events both on the ground and in technology. As regional conflicts—including the US-Israeli war on Iran—increase global demand for advanced defense systems, Türkiye’s expanding production capacity positions it as a rising power in the international arms market.