Türkiye’s defense and aerospace exports have surpassed $11 billion (TL 514.86 billion) on a rolling 12-month basis for the first time ever, according to a senior official on Friday.

Haluk Görgün, head of the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB), said exports in the sector rose 29.6% year-on-year in June to $802.8 million, The Caspian Post reports, citing Daily Sabah.

He added that defense and aerospace exports during the January-June period increased by 29.5% compared with the same period last year, reaching $4.67 billion, in a post on the social media platform X.

Görgün attributed the growth to increasing global recognition of Turkish defense products and the continued expansion of the country’s industrial ecosystem.

“Our systems have proven their success in the field, and with an ecosystem that continues to deepen, we are establishing lasting partnerships on a global scale,” he said.

According to official data, Türkiye’s defense exports increased by around 48% year-on-year in 2025, reaching a record level of more than $10 billion.

The government aims to raise this figure to $11 billion in the near term, which would place Türkiye among the world’s top 10 defense exporters.

Over the past several years, NATO member Türkiye has significantly expanded its domestic defense industry, investing billions of dollars to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers and develop homegrown systems that now meet nearly all of its defense needs.

For much of the past two decades, Ankara has expressed dissatisfaction with what it views as insufficient defense support from Western allies, particularly regarding missile defense systems, despite Türkiye’s position as a key NATO member.

The country now exports more than 230 defense systems to 185 countries worldwide.