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Türkiye's share of global arms exports grew by 103% over the past four years. In this period, Ukraine became the largest importer of arms, sourcing from 35 different countries, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute's (SIPRI) latest report.
SIPRI published its global arms trade report, providing an overview of the last four years marked by conflicts, including the Ukraine war, battles in African countries like Sudan, and wars in the Middle East. The report also sheds light on Türkiye's arms export and import activities during this time.
According to SIPRI's findings, Türkiye increased its share of global arms exports to 1.7% between 2020 and 2024, compared to just 0.8% in the 2015-2019 period. At this time, Türkiye's arms exports grew by 103%. As a result, Türkiye became the 11th largest arms exporter in the world.
Over the last four years, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) emerged as Türkiye's largest arms customer, accounting for 18% of total exports. Pakistan followed with a 10% share, and Qatar came third with 9.9%.
In parallel with the growth of Türkiye's domestic arms industry, the country reduced its arms imports. Over the past four years, Türkiye's share of global arms imports fell to 1.1%, down from 1.7% during the previous four-year period. This decline represents a 33% drop in Türkiye's overall arms imports.
Between 2020 and 2024, Spain became Türkiye's largest supplier, meeting 34% of the country's arms needs. Spain was followed by Italy, which provided 24%, and Germany, supplying 19%.
Türkiye's growing arms exports and decreasing imports highlight the nation's increasing self-sufficiency in defense production, as well as its rising role in the global arms trade.
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