Rank #18 · Europe
Turkey spent $30.0B on its military in 2025 (1.9% of GDP), up 7.2% in real terms. The increase is driven by ongoing operations in Iraq, Syria, and Somalia, and especially by aggressive investment in the domestic arms industry — the Defence Industry Support Fund alone accounted for 22% of total spending.
Turkey funds its military through two channels: the Ministry of National Defence (MSB) appropriation and the off-budget Defence Industry Support Fund (Savunma Sanayii Destekleme Fonu, SSDF) operated under the Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB). The SSDF accounted for roughly 22% of total Turkish military spending in 2025 — its share grew 25% year-on-year — and is the principal vehicle for capital and R&D financing into Turkish primes. Major procurement and development programs include the KAAN (TF-X) fifth-generation fighter, the Altay main battle tank, the Anadolu LHD's Bayraktar TB3-based unmanned air wing, the Hisar/Steel Dome air defence system, and TCG İstanbul-class frigates. Personnel costs are stable; growth is concentrated in capital and industrial-base spending.
The Turkish Armed Forces field roughly 355,200 active personnel — one of NATO's largest land forces — with the Army comprising the bulk (~260,000), plus the Navy (~45,000) and Air Force (~50,000), supplemented by 156,800 Jandarma and Coast Guard personnel. The Army is heavily mechanised with M60TM, Leopard 2A4, and Altay (entering service) tanks, alongside large numbers of unmanned systems. The Navy operates the LHD TCG Anadolu (operating Bayraktar TB3), MILGEM Ada-class corvettes, İstanbul-class frigates, Type 209 and Reis-class (Type 214TN) submarines. The Air Force operates F-16C/D Block 30/40/50/50+ (under modernisation following the F-35 expulsion), with KAAN expected to enter low-rate production later in the decade.
Turkey has built one of the most rapidly growing defence industrial bases in the world, with the SSB-coordinated cluster led by Aselsan (electronics, EW, fire control), TAI/TUSAŞ (KAAN, Hürjet, T129 ATAK, Anka and Aksungur UAV), Roketsan (missiles, rockets, SOM, Bora), Baykar (TB2, TB3, Akıncı, Kızılelma), and STM (autonomous systems, MILGEM design support). Turkish exports — especially Bayraktar TB2 and TB3 drones — became a global phenomenon after combat use in Nagorno-Karabakh, Libya, Ukraine, and Ethiopia. Total defence and aerospace exports surpassed $7B in 2024 and grew further in 2025. Turkey was expelled from the F-35 program in 2019 over the S-400 acquisition; the KAAN program is the centerpiece of the response.
Turkey conducts active operations in northern Iraq (Operation Claw-Lock against the PKK), northern Syria (Operations Euphrates Shield, Olive Branch, Peace Spring, and ongoing operations against the SDF/YPG), and contributes a training mission in Somalia. Turkish forces maintain the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus garrison and a base in Qatar. Following the December 2024 fall of Bashar al-Assad and the rise of HTS-led governance in Damascus, Turkey deepened cooperation with the new Syrian authorities through 2025. Turkey hosts the NATO command at İzmir and the Kürecik radar (NATO BMD). Tensions with Greece over Aegean airspace and maritime delimitation continue, though 2025 saw a measured warming under the Athens Declaration mechanisms.
On 27 April 2026, SIPRI confirmed Turkey's 2025 spend at $30.0B (1.9% GDP), up 7.2% in real terms. The KAAN fifth-generation fighter prototype completed expanded flight envelope testing through 2025, with first serial production aircraft (Block 10, interim F110-GE-129 engines) committed for delivery in 2028. Steel Dome (Çelik Kubbe) integrated air defence reached initial operational capability in late 2025. The Altay tank serial-production line delivered the first Block 1 vehicles in 2025. Turkey signed a major Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 4 acquisition with the four-nation consortium in late 2025 (~40 aircraft) to bridge the F-35 capability gap.
Roughly 355,200 active personnel — one of NATO's largest standing forces — plus 156,800 Jandarma and Coast Guard. Army strength alone is around 260,000. Conscription remains the personnel backbone, with selective extensions for technical specialisations.
The TAI KAAN (formerly TF-X) is Turkey's indigenous fifth-generation multirole fighter, in development by TUSAŞ since 2016. The first prototype flew in February 2024. Block 10 production aircraft will use F110-GE-129 engines (interim) before transition to a domestic engine in later blocks. First deliveries are committed for 2028.
Turkey was removed from the F-35 program in July 2019 after acquiring the Russian S-400 air-defence system, which the US judged incompatible with F-35 operations. Turkey had been a Tier-3 industrial partner. The KAAN domestic fighter and the 2025 Eurofighter Tranche 4 buy are the principal capability responses.
Aselsan (electronics, fire control, EW), TAI/TUSAŞ (KAAN, Hürjet, T129, Anka), Roketsan (missiles and rockets), Baykar (TB2/TB3/Akıncı/Kızılelma drones), and STM (autonomous systems and ship design support). All five are clustered under SSB coordination.