Türkiye hikes defense procurement by 229% in 2027 budget

Defense procurement surge

Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz said Friday that Türkiye raised allocations for weapons, ammunition and defense equipment purchases by 229% in the 2027 central government budget, outlining sweeping spending priorities spanning defense, education, health and infrastructure at a ceremony finalizing the proposal at the presidential complex in Ankara. The increase reflects Ankara's continued focus on modernizing its armed forces through enhanced domestic procurement channels. "Allocations for purchases of weapons, ammunition, weapons systems and other defense equipment, which constitute a significant portion of defense spending in the National Defense Ministry's budget, have been increased by 229%," he stated. The proposed budget earmarks 2.206 trillion Turkish liras ($44.5 billion) for overall defense expenditures alongside a separate $25.2 billion allocation for internal security.

Indigenous capabilities

Yilmaz noted that the 229% increase applies specifically to procurement allocations for the National Defense Ministry rather than total defense spending across all agencies. He said Türkiye had successfully reduced its defense industry's dependence on foreign suppliers over the past quarter-century, describing developments in the sector as a revolution driven by indigenous research and manufacturing initiatives. Current global conditions demonstrate the importance of Ankara's earlier decision to strengthen its domestic defense capabilities, he added.

Social and infrastructure spending

Beyond defense, the government proposes allocating 57.5 billion liras to public investment, equivalent to 10.4% of the 2027 budget, with funding directed toward long-term economic growth. Yilmaz said investment would continue across irrigation networks, railway expansion, maritime transport upgrades, oil and natural gas exploration projects, and mining operations. Education, including higher education, would receive $75.6 billion, retaining the largest share of central government spending at 13.7%, while the proposal also provides $17.5 billion specifically to address earthquake damage and strengthen national resilience against future disasters.

Legislative process

Yilmaz confirmed that the budget proposal had been submitted to parliament within the constitutional deadline set for the annual fiscal calendar. He will provide further details on revenue projections and specific program allocations during a presentation to parliament's Planning and Budget Committee next week.