Summary
Turkiye’s defense company Roketsan is growing fast and aims to become one of the top 10 global arms exporters. The company has built a strong domestic industry to avoid Western sanctions and now sells its weapons, missiles, and rockets to about 50 countries. President Erdogan recently opened new facilities to help Roketsan increase production and research.
Key Facts
- Roketsan was founded in 1988 and is Turkiye’s main missile and rocket maker.
- Turkiye faces Western sanctions and embargoes, especially after buying Russia’s S-400 missile system.
- To bypass restrictions, Turkiye developed a large local defense industry with over 90% local production.
- The Turkish defense industry earned $10 billion in exports in 2025.
- Roketsan is currently ranked 71st among global defense firms and aims to enter the top 10.
- President Erdogan inaugurated new facilities including Europe’s largest warhead plant and a big R&D center with 1,000 engineers.
- Roketsan uses lessons from recent wars, like those in Ukraine and the Middle East, to improve missile and drone technologies.
- The company employs about 3,200 engineers and is Turkiye’s third-largest research institution.
