Turkish defense and aerospace exports up 16.6 percent.

In January and February 2018, the Turkish defense and aerospace industry increased exports by 16.6 % compared to the same period in 2017. They have exported a total of $222 million in the first two months of 2017, while this figure reached $258.9 million in the same period of this year.

(Picture source : Army Recognition)

The defense and aerospace industry reached $109.2 million in January and $149.7 million in February 2018. This, exports from the Turkish defense industry increased by 12.8 % in the first two months of this year compared to same period of the previous year, while defense and aerospace industry exports outpaced this rate with its performance in the said period. In this period, the largest export was made to the U.S. with $98 million, followed by Germany with $36.6 million. Exports to both countries maintained a parallel course to last year's figures.

To mention a comparison, Oman, which experienced a significant increase in exports in the meantime, climbed to third place. Exports to Oman, which stood at $1.6 million in the first two months of last year, reached $20.3 million in the same period of this year.

Defense and aerospace industry exports to the Netherlands rose from $2.2 million to $13.7 million in this period, putting the country on the fourth place.

The U.K. followed the Netherlands with an increase of 33 percent, achieving $10.5 million in exports.

India ranked sixth with $9.4 million, while China, to which exports were limited to $7,000 last year, climbed to seventh place with $8.3 million.

Meanwhile, exports to Qatar rose from $899,000 last year to $7.9 million in this period.

Exports reached $6.4 million to Italy and $5.3 million to Azerbaijan, doubling last year's figure.

In the defense and aerospace industry, 20 cities achieved over $100,000 in exports. Ankara, which hosts the firms leading the sector, experienced a 35 percent increase in exports, securing its first place with $132 million in exports. Turkey's capital realized more than half of the total exports in the defense and aerospace industries alone.

Eskişehir, which increased exports by 7 percent to $52.2 million, was followed by Istanbul reaching $43.3 million in exports with an increase of 1 percent.

These cities were respectively followed by Konya with $7.6 million, İzmir with $7.3 million, Düzce with $3 million, Burdur with $2.8 million, Samsun with $2.61 million and Adana with $2.60 million.