Arms spending in Turkey shows no signs of slowing down: $30 billion in a single year

A significant development has taken place on the international stage. Amid ongoing conflicts, Turkey’s arms spending shows no signs of slowing down: $30 billion in a single year Peter Hille | Burak Ünveren April 27, 2026 According to SIPRI data, Turkey was the 18th-largest spender on arms globally last year. $30 billion went toward military expenditures.

The SIPRI report noted that Turkey’s military presence in Somalia contributed to the rise in military spending. Photo: Feisal Omar/Advertisement In 2025, as wars continued in Europe and the Middle East, global military spending rose for the 11th consecutive year. According to new data released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), governments spent a total of $2.9 trillion on ships, aircraft, missiles, and other weapons over the course of a year. This marked the highest level of military spending in history.

Details of the Developments

Xiao Liang, a researcher at SIPRI’s Military Expenditure and Arms Production Program, says, “These figures clearly reflect countries’ responses to ongoing wars, tensions, and geopolitical uncertainty.” In 2025, while conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza continued, crises such as the war in Sudan further deepened global instability. Liang added, "With all these crises still ongoing and many countries’ long-term spending plans already set, this trend is likely to continue into 2026 and beyond."

Turkey spent $30 billion on arms Turkey ranked 18th among the countries with the highest military spending in 2025. Turkey’s military spending reached $30 billion in 2025. This figure represents a 7.2% increase compared to 2024 and a 94% increase compared to 2016.

Turkey’s ongoing military presence in Iraq, Somalia, and Syria contributed to the increase. However, the primary driving factor was investment in the domestic defense industry. The share allocated to special funds supporting the Turkish defense industry grew by 25% annually, accounting for 22% of Turkey’s total military spending in 2025.

What Do Experts Say?

According to the SIPRI report, Turkey’s military spending reached $30 billion last year. Photo: Axel Heimken//Getty Images Armies Are Growing in Europe In 2025, the majority of the global increase in military spending originated from Europe. The continent’s defense spending rose by 14% to $864 billion. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 fundamentally altered European countries’ perceptions of their own security.

Many European governments are concerned that Russia could pose a broader threat beyond Ukraine. In response to this concern, European nations are increasing defense spending to strengthen their militaries and deter potential attacks. "This is definitely the biggest factor," said Liang, "Russia and Ukraine’s spending were the primary drivers of the increase in Europe.

Spending in these countries continued to rise in 2025. However, when viewed from a broader perspective, the focus has now shifted to Central and Western European countries.

The development has sparked widespread attention in the international community. Diplomatic circles are closely monitoring the situation.