Istanbul Defense and Aerospace Cluster Association (SAHA) Chairperson of the Board and drone magnate Baykar General Manager Haluk Bayraktar, evaluating the performance of the sector in 2021 said that Turkey is yielding positive outcomes of its vision of nationalizing defense and aviation products step by step.
Bayraktar emphasized that the biggest success for the sector this year is the increase in exports achieved with this vision.
The defense and aerospace industry broke a record by exceeding $3 billion for the first time in 2021 and made exports totaling $3.22 billion, Anadolu Agency reported.
“The important point here is the development of domestic added value in the export composition, increasing year by year,” Bayraktar said and added that while a strong and independent defense industry is indispensable for Turkey, it is important to strengthen defense and aviation exports to countries with whom Turkey has strategic relations.
"Beyond providing an economic gain, defense exports also provide a suitable basis for establishing strategic relations with the countries to which you export and for the development of all kinds of commercial and social activities with these countries. Therefore, it is of critical importance that the export volume of the sector is effective and sustainable," he said.
Stating that the sector's exports have increased significantly in the last 15 years on a dollar basis, Bayraktar informed that the export volume in the Turkish defense and aerospace sector has grown approximately seven times in dollar terms from 2006 to 2021. The sector also now constitutes around 1% of the world’s total defense and aerospace exports.
