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Turkish defense industry's reach $781 million
Defense and Aerospace Industry Exporters' Association (SSI) Chairman Latif Aral Alis said Turkey's defense industry had exhibited a successful performance last year and during the first half of this yearWorld Bulletin/News Desk
Defense and Aerospace Industry Exporters' Association (SSI) Chairman Latif Aral Alis announced that Turkey's defense industry had exhibited a successful performance last year and during the first half of this year.
Alis said, “exports exceeded 781 million USD during January-July period in 2013 . This represents an increase of 9 percent from the same period of 2012. This ratio is above Turkey's overall rate of increase in exports."
Indicating that they targeted exports of $1.5 billion by the end of the year, Alis noted that the figures from last year and the first half of this year painted a promising picture for the industry in the period ahead.
"Our export levels, which were recorded at $600 million in 2008, reached $1.26 billion as of the end of 2012," he added.
Indicating that research and development (R&D) expenditures in Turkey's defense industry had reached 772 million USD, Alis noted that they expected an even larger increase in R&D spending due to its being a high value with intensive know-how.
Expressing that the sector's strategic objective for 2016 is 4 billion USD in production and 2 billion USD in the export of goods and services, Alis stated that “our main strategic goal, as we always mention, is 25 billion USD in exports of goods and services in the defense and aerospace industry by 2023.”
He added that the "domestication" ratio of the needs of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) had exceeded 54 percent.
"Mostly aircraft and helicopters parts were exported this year"
Mentioning that most of the exports of the defense and aerospace industry had been made to the United States and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) this year, Alis said, “When we look at 2013, the products we sold the most, include aircraft and helicopters parts, aircraft engines, armored land vehicles, vessels and fast boats, missiles, rockets and launch platforms, light weapons and ammunition, electronic systems (radio, command and control systems, simulators, sensors and application software), logistics support products (kitchen, hospital, clothing materials), and engineering and technology transfer services."
“Our exports to Egypt have ceased”
Alis expressed that the defense industry would not be affected by the volatility of exchange rates by stating, “Our projects being very long-term also has an impact on this issue. So short-term interactions are not largely decisive for the sector.”
Reminding that the United Nations (UN) resolution had stopped arms sales to Egypt worldwide, Alis noted that exports to the country from Turkey's defense and aerospace sector had also ceased.
