Military Industry

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Explainer

Turkey warns Greece, Cyprus not to engage in arms race: What to know

Ankara is alarmed by Greece's military modernization, Cyprus’ shift to Western arms and expanding Greece-Cyprus-Israel defense ties.

A general view shows the reactor building at the Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran on Aug. 20, 2010.

Iran's covert nuclear risk higher after war as IAEA access constrained: Report

Iran is estimated to possess about 440.9 kilograms, approximately 972 pounds, of uranium enriched to 60% purity, just below the 90% level considered weapons-grade.

SAHA EXPO 2024

Analysis

Cheap drones, costly threats: Why Gulf states are looking to Turkey for defense deals

Iran’s drone and missile attacks have exposed gaps in Gulf and Iraqi air defenses, giving Turkey an opening for Turkish defense sales, but Ankara has a narrow window before South Korean and European competitors gain ground.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

This photograph taken during a press tour organised by the Lebanese army shows Lebanese soldiers standing atop military vehicles in Alma Al-Shaab, near the border with Israel in southern Lebanon, on Nov. 28, 2025.

Lebanon’s military hits back at US sanctions, says loyalty 'solely to the nation'

Lebanon’s army and General Security stressed that their members remain loyal state institutions, responding to US sanctions that for the first time targeted security officers for alleged ties to Hezbollah.

Latest News

Iran's IRGC holds anti-helicopter drills in Tehran: What to know

ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

From drones to deterrence: Turkey's ICBM missile signals bigger ambitions

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - MAY 06: A man poses for a photograph in front of the newly unveiled, Turkish made intercontinental ballistic missile Yildirimhan at the SAHA International Defence and Aerospace Expo on May 06, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey. The International Defence and Aerospace Exhibition, showcased Turkish and foreign companies new products and technology. The expo was dominated by UAV products as modern warfare increasingly shifts to drone and unmanned technologies. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Turkey warns France over Cyprus troop deployment: What to know

Members of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), from the British Army's 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards, No. 2 Company, patrol along the buffer zone separating the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus and the breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in the divided capital Nicosia on Feb. 17, 2026.

In first, Libya’s rival armies to join drill in Turkey: What to know

Cadets of the Saiqa Force (Special Forces) of the self-styled Libyan National Army affiliated with eastern strongman Khalifa Hifter take part in a graduation ceremony in tribute to the force's late commander, Wanis Bukhamada, in the eastern city of Benghazi, on Jan. 20, 2022.

Turkey's submarines and fast-attack craft ships participate in the live-fire phase of the Blue Homeland-2026 (Mavi Vatan) tactical military exercises in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, in Antalya on April 9, 2026.

Turkey’s military spending jumps to $30B, leads Mideast growth in 2025

Newly released data shows Ankara’s military spending hit $30 billion, while Saudi Arabia remained the region’s top spender and Israel’s outlays declined in 2025.

CORLU, TURKEY- MARCH 2: A B model of Bayraktar AKINCI TİHA (Assault Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) in the sky on March 2, 2022 in Corlu, Turkey. (Photo by Baykar Press Office/dia images via Getty Images)

Turkey’s Baykar tests K2 swarm kamikaze drones for first time: What to know

Baykar tested its K2 and new loitering drones, featuring AI-driven swarm capabilities and the ability to operate under GPS jamming.

Turkey's Camp TURKSOM, a Turkish military base south of Mogadishu, is seen from the window of an aircraft, on April 26, 2025, in Mogadishu, Somalia.

Analysis

Turkey’s expanding military role in Somalia draws scrutiny amid federal rift

Turkey’s expanding military footprint in Somalia is drawing criticism amid deepening federal-regional tensions, with Ankara denying it is taking sides.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Two Typhoon Eurofighter jets of the Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) of the German air force (Luftwaffe) take off for training during a media day at the military Laage Air Base, northeastern Germany, on March 11, 2026.

Turkey, UK advance $11B Eurofighter jet deal with training agreement

Britain and Turkey signed a training and support agreement marking “the next phase” of Ankara’s entry into the Eurofighter program, building on a £8 billion jet deal signed last year.

United Arab Emirates army helicopters fly from the Burj al Arab hotel (R) toward Burj Khalifa, Dubai, Jan. 16, 2026.

Analysis

Iran war drives Turkey-Gulf defense alignment, but not alliance

Despite accelerated cooperation as a result of the US-Israeli war on Iran, structural and political constraints would make a formal military alliance unlikely.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Soldiers board a US Marines CH-53 Super Stallion during an airfield seizure exercise as part of the US-Philippines Balikatan joint military exercise at San Vicente Airport in Palawan on May 1, 2024.

How deployment of 4,000+ US Marines could change war in Iran

Two flotillas bearing thousands of US Marines will give Trump more options to open the Strait of Hormuz, but deploying them to the Gulf will necessitate expanding a war that's already widely unpopular at home.

Uae

US fast-tracks $16.5B arms sales to UAE, Jordan, Kuwait amid Iran attacks

Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued emergency waivers to bypass the normal congressional review period for the sales, the administration said, as Iran signaled its ability to open a new front with strikes on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast.

Somalis celebrate the victory of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after he won the presidential run-off election during the celebration organised by the government in Mogadishu, on May 29, 2023. (Photo by Hassan Ali Elmi / AFP) (Photo by HASSAN ALI ELMI/AFP via Getty Images)

Turkey touts Somalia spaceport as Horn of Africa rivalry heats up

A high-level presidential aide said the facility could open new avenues in defense and technology sharing between Turkey and Somalia.

PM Netanyahu - X

Analysis

India's Modi arrives in Israel as fears grow of US-Iran conflict

The Indian prime minister’s visit highlights growing cooperation on defense, AI, drones and regional trade, while signaling closer diplomatic coordination.

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) gestures as he welcomes Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman (R) during an official ceremony at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, on June 22, 2022.

Analysis

Amid Saudi-UAE rivalry, Turkey courts Riyadh without crossing Abu Dhabi

Turkey is moving closer to Saudi Arabia on key regional security files from Yemen to Gaza, while carefully avoiding a rupture with the United Arab Emirates.

Ezgi Akin

In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO

US President Donald Trump and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan gesture as they pose for a photo during a world leaders' summit on ending the Gaza war on Oct. 13, 2025 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.

Analysis

Trump-Erdogan ties pay off for Turkey in 2025 as Ankara pushes for F-35s

Leader-level diplomacy between Ankara and Washington produced selective gains but failed to break the deadlock over defense sanctions imposed for Turkey’s S-400 purchase.

Ezgi Akin

In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO

Turkish naval forces patrol vessel TCG F 500 and an unidentified submarine (back) sail during a military naval parade on the Bosphorus in Istanbul on Oct. 29, 2023.

Analysis

Turkey's defense sector enters 2026 with naval progress — and unresolved vulnerabilities

A year marked by regional wars, drone incursions and major arms exports has left Turkey confronting a familiar dilemma: how to turn ambition and prototypes into real deterrence without the budget to fully sustain them.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security