Turkey

The modern republic of Turkey was founded by Mustafa Kamal Attaturk in 1923, in the wake of World War I. Turkey, however, subsequently struggled with periods of instability due to military coups that occurred in 1960, 1971, 1974 and 1980. The Islamist government today, led by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, successfully consolidated political power and purged the military of its top ranks, virtually ensuring against future military coups. The Turkish government faced significant domestic unrest in the summer of 2013, but it does not appear to be in danger of domestic instability. Turkey under the Justice and Development Party (AKP) is a vociferous supporter of the Palestinian terror group Hamas, currently in control of the Gaza Strip. To this end, Ankara supported the May 2010 flotilla incident, where several Turkish citizens died attempting to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza. Turkey seeks membership in the EU, but its Islamist government may prove to be an impediment. Turkey was a strong supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt before its 2013 demise. Turkey is also a leading actor in arming and organizing the Syrian opposition forces.
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Military EXHD2.31% of GDP
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Fit for Service35,005,326
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Population81,619,392
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GDP$821.8 Billion
Turkey in ‘Final Phase’ of Secretive Saudi Export Deal
Turkey’s defense and procurement officials are expecting to finalize a large defense export contract with Saudi Arabia, but its contents will be kept top secret. Turkish Defence Minister Fikri Isik has said the defense export contract with Saudi Arabia will be the largest-ever single export deal for the Turkish industry. A senior procurement official refused […]
U.S. Patrolling Syrian Border to Stop Turk-Kurd Clashes
American forces have started patrolling the Turkey-Syria border to prevent further clashes between Turkish troops and Kurdish fighters, which could undermine the fight against Islamic State, U.S. officials said Friday. The patrols are part of a far-reaching American effort to prevent the rival forces from targeting each other as the U.S. prepares to launch a major […]
Turkey, Russia Clinch Agreement on S-400 Air Defense System Deliveries
Turkey and Russia have reached an agreement in principle on the delivery of Russian-made S-400 long-range surface-to-air missile systems to the Turkish side and are negotiating the price and joint production issues, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Friday. “We are continuing the negotiations on all the issues related to the S-400, including joint […]
Pentagon: Turkish Airstrikes Put US Forces at Risk
Airstrikes launched by Turkish warplanes on Tuesday that killed U.S. Kurdish allies in Iraq and Syria were described as “unsafe,” according to Air Force Col. John Dorrian, the spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve. Officials in Baghdad claim Turkey provided less than an hour notification to coalition forces before launching strikes against Kurdish positions in Sinjar, Iraq, and […]
Bayraktar LST Delivered to Turkish Navy
Bayraktar, the first of two Turkish tank landing ships (LSTs) on order from the country’s Adik shipyard, was delivered to the Turkish Naval Forces Command (TNFC) on 22 April. Local industry participation in the construction of the 140 m-long ship was 70.68%, including a 48% contribution by small and medium-size enterprises, according to a statement […]
Turkey’s Military Spending Decreases By 5.7 Percent in 2016
Turkey’s military spending decreased by 5.7 percent in 2016 compared to the previous year, according to a new Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) report on military expenditures. The report said Turkey’s military expenditures were worth $14.9 billion, which ranked the country 17th in the list, behind Spain and Canada. Total world military expenditure rose […]
Turkey at ‘Final Stage’ with Russia Over S-400 Missile System: Defense Minister
Turkey’s talks with Russia about the purchase of the S-400 air missile defense system have reached a “final stage”, although this does not mean a deal will be signed immediately, Defense Minister Fikri Isik said on Friday. Isik also told a news conference that NATO countries have not presented a “financially effective” offer on an […]
Raytheon Awarded $79 Million to Provide AIM-9X Missile Sustainment to Israel, Kuwait, Others
Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Arizona, is being awarded $78,723,292 for modification P00022 to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00019-15-D-0028). This modification provides for support and sustainment of the AIM-9X Sidewinder Block II tactical missiles in support of the Navy, Air Force and the governments of Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Israel, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Oman, Malaysia, […]
Saudi-Led Antiterror Coalition Sharpens Its Focus
A Saudi-led coalition force of 41 countries is now taking shape and has found a focus: protecting member nations against the threat from Islamic State as the militant group’s strongholds in Iraq and Syria disintegrate. The coalition, sometimes referred to as the “Muslim NATO,” is expected to have its first substantive meeting over the next […]
Raytheon Awarded $65 Million to Provide AMRAAM Missiles to Turkey, Japan, Others
Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Arizona, has been awarded a $64,610,086 cost-plus-incentive-fee option (P00004) to previously awarded contract FA8675-16-C-0044 for the Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile (AMRAAM) program. Contractor will provide Phase 4b form, fit, function, refresh of the AMRAAM guidance section. Work will be performed at Tucson, Arizona, and is expected to be […]
Turkey is On a Collision Course with the Syrian Regime and Its Backers
Last Thursday an attack struck Turkish positions near the Islamic State-held city of al-Bab in northern Syria, killing three soldiers and wounding 10. Centered between Turkish and rebel forces in the north, the Kurds in the east and west, and the Syrian regime forces in the south, al-Bab is the point of convergence for the […]
Covering the Bases: Reassessing U.S. Military Deployments in Turkey After the July 2016 Coup d’État
Download the full report here (PDF). The Republic of Turkey has been a reliable staging point for U.S. forces for more than six decades. Turkish bases have historically provided the U.S. military easy access to multiple theaters without having to build new infrastructure or forge new agreements. Today, American forces in Turkey are targeting the […]
The Saudi-led Coalition Is Not Ready to Fight the Islamic State
President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Ashton Carter visited Saudi Arabia last week hoping to reassure nervous Gulf allies that American security commitments remain in force in the wake of last year’s Iran nuclear deal. In exchange, the White House was hoping to encourage the Gulf states to play a more active role in the […]
Putin’s Belligerence Reaches a Tipping Point
Turkey shot down a Russian fighter jet today after it violated the country’s airspace. The Turkish military claims it issued ten warnings before shooting down the aircraft, while Russia denies any breach of Turkish territory. The incident marks the most serious direct confrontation between a NATO member and Russia in half a century. Russian President […]
Russian Forays Into Turkish Airspace Challenge Ankara’s Syria Policy… And NATO
Russian warplanes entered Turkish airspace from Syria twice over the weekend, sending Turkish F-16s scrambling. In separate incidents on Monday, a Russian-made Syrian MiG-29 jet placed two Turkish F-16s patrolling the border under radar lock for several minutes. Later that day, Syrian surface-to-air missile batteries locked on to another flight of Turkish F-16s. The incidents […]
Should the U.S. Continue to Use Incirlik?
Turkey’s cabinet announced July 29 that the United States and coalition members targeting the Islamic State (ISIS) would be permitted to fly combat missions from Incirlik air base in south Turkey. This U.S.-Turkish facility is well positioned near the Syrian front, and offers the coalition greater tactical flexibility. It could certainly help in the effort, as […]
Turkey at War: A New, Complicated, Phase in the Fight Against ISIS
The Turkish cabinet formally approved opening the Incirlik air base in southern Turkey on Wednesday to the coalition fighting Islamic State (ISIS). The U.S. has been pressuring Turkey to allow operations from Incirlik for months, but the deadly suicide bombing in the Turkish border town of Suruç last week, and a fatal attack on a […]
The Folly of Turkey’s Syrian Buffer Zone Plan
Ankara raised the prospect last weekend of a military operation to create a buffer zone along its Syrian frontier. While Turkey is officially part of a 60-nation coalition against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), this military initiative would instead be focused on a different threat: the Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (PYD) in Syria. […]
An Edge in the Desert
Weapons are pouring into the Middle East at an unprecedented rate. The Pentagon recently announced that it would sell six tilt-rotor Osprey aircraft to Israel for $1.3 billion, American hardware (including Apache helicopters) is being rushed to the Iraqi government to help in its battle against al Qaeda, and Washington has also restored military aid to Egypt after a brief hiatus. But Uncle […]
Category Name
↓
QME
↓
↑
Active Armaments
On Order
↓
Air Defense Systems
1,903* (75)
↓
↓
Active Armaments
↓
-
10
-
260
-
120
-
800
-
0 (3)
-
78
-
158
-
0 (72)
-
8
Aircraft 865 (364*)
-
9 (50)
-
6 (3)
-
3
-
22
-
59
-
0 (30*)
-
242
-
23
-
10
-
4 (10)
-
16
-
6
-
0 (12)
-
2
-
6 (6)
-
3 (3*)
-
3 (7)
-
4
-
5 (1)
-
0 (3)
-
43
-
18
-
5
-
40 (15)
-
13 (6)
-
0 (15)
-
2
-
0 (52)
-
18
-
14
-
14
-
0 (15)
-
28
-
10
-
8 (16)
-
0 (109)
-
22
-
80
-
47
-
80
-
0 (11)
Artillery 3,925 (120)
-
180 (120)
-
24
-
26
-
517
-
222
-
365
-
36
-
219
-
162
-
9
-
640
-
170
-
1,265
Ground Vehicles 10,219 (923)
-
24 (238)
-
0 (35)
-
600
-
410 (400)
-
868
-
1,700
-
260
-
340
-
240
-
25
-
2,815
-
40
-
35
-
220
-
0 (250)
-
170
-
658
-
170
-
1,300
-
344
Guided Munitions 19,336* (1,169)
-
810*
-
117*
-
500*
-
383* (145)
-
25*
-
92*
-
50*
-
363*
-
4*
-
7,000*
-
392*
-
80*
-
3,700*
-
18*
-
72*
-
300*
-
50* (24)
-
0 (100)
-
0 (200)
-
0 (300)
-
100*
-
500* (400)
-
80*
-
200*
-
4,000*
-
300*
-
100*
-
100*
Personnel 889,300 (0)
Ships 210 (18)
-
1
-
2
-
1 (1)
-
5
-
0 (1)
-
6
-
1
-
2
-
8
-
12
-
16
-
0 (4)
-
1 (1)
-
3 (1)
-
0 (4)
-
8
-
16
-
4
-
1
-
13
-
9
-
4
-
6
-
8
-
4
-
2
-
9
-
1
-
6
-
8