Turkey plans to increase defense spending by 229% over the next three years as part of a push to develop its own technologies and produce higher-value products in the defense industry, Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz announced on Sunday, according to Turkish media reports.
“In the defense industry, we aim for a Turkey that develops its own technology and produces high added value,” Yilmaz said. “We are increasing defense spending by 229%.”
The plan was announced during a presentation of the country’s new Medium-Term Program (MTP), which sets out its economic roadmap for 2027-2029.
The increase in defense spending is the largest among the seven priority areas outlined in the program.
Spending on social housing is set to increase by 150%, mining exploration by 139%, industrial infrastructure by 54%, railways by 49%, health by 43%, and food supply security by 42%.
Envanter Medya, a Turkey-based news site that tracks developments in military technology, noted that the additional funding would support major defense projects, such as mass production of the TF-Kaan fighter jet, the first deliveries of the Bayraktar Kızılelma unmanned fighter aircraft, and the delivery of more than 10 Altay (tanks) to the Turkish Land Forces.
Turkey one of world's largest military spenders
“The global economy has recently been going through a new period in which economic, technological, and geopolitical developments are intertwined, predictability has decreased, and risks have risen to historically high levels,” Yilmaz said.
“The Turkish economy is, of course, not independent of the developments taking place in the world and in our region.”
Yilmaz said that the war with Iran had created both direct and indirect consequences in many areas, including energy and commodity prices, global trade, inflation outlook, and growth expectations.
Turkey’s military spending already reached $30 billion in 2025, making it the world’s 18th-largest military spender, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Turkish military spending rose 7.2% from the previous year, with SIPRI saying the increase was driven by ongoing military operations in Iraq, Somalia and Syria, but most of all by investment in Turkey’s domestic arms industry.