Türkiye’s defense industry sees engineers returning, minister says

Türkiye’s National Defense Minister Yasar Guler shared insights into trends in the country’s defense industry workforce, highlighting a significant drop in the number of engineers leaving leading defense companies and a notable rise in those returning from abroad.

This reflects shifts in industry dynamics across key firms like Aselsan, TAI, Roketsan and Havelsan.

Year	Engineers Leaving	Engineers Returning	Net Outflow
2022	624	45	579
2023	261	81	180
2024	217	211	6
Total	1,102	337	765

Reasons for trends

Guler highlighted several factors influencing this shift:

1. Challenges abroad:
   • Family struggles with integration and adaptation.
   • Limited opportunities to work with cutting-edge technology.
   • Career advancement hurdles, as managerial roles often favor local workers.
   • Rising nationalism and xenophobia in host countries.
2. Improving domestic conditions:
   • A rapidly advancing defense industry with greater opportunities.
3. Disillusionment overseas:
   • Unmet professional expectations and lack of significant career growth.

Guler emphasized that Türkiye’s growing defense sector offers increasing opportunities, making it more attractive for skilled professionals to return. He pointed out that those returning from abroad bring invaluable expertise, further strengthening the industry.