Turkey’s exports of major arms rose 122 percent in 2021–2025 compared with the previous five-year period, making it the world’s 11th-largest exporter with a 1.8 percent share of global arms exports, according to new data released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Pakistan was the biggest destination for Turkish arms, accounting for 16 percent of Turkey’s exports, followed by the United Arab Emirates at 12 percent and Ukraine at 8.4 percent.
At the same time, Turkey ranked 24th among the world’s largest arms importers in 2021–2025. Its share of global arms imports fell to 1.2 percent from 1.5 percent in 2016–2020, marking a 9.7 percent decline. Germany was Turkey’s largest supplier, providing 31 percent of its imports, followed by Spain with 29 percent and Italy with 19 percent.
SIPRI said the global volume of international transfers of major arms increased by 9.2 percent in 2021–2025 from the previous five-year period, the sharpest increase since 2011–2015. Europe recorded the biggest rise in imports, which surged 210 percent and gave the region 33 percent of total global arms imports, the first time since the 1960s that Europe held the largest share.
The United States remained the world’s biggest arms exporter, expanding its share of global exports to 42 percent. France ranked second, while Russia fell to third with its share dropping to 6.8 percent from 21 percent in the previous period. Germany and China completed the top five exporters, which together accounted for 70 percent of global arms exports.
SIPRI’s data also showed Turkey strengthening its position in sub-Saharan Africa, where it ranked third among suppliers. China accounted for 22 percent of the region’s arms imports, Russia for 12 percent and Turkey for 11 percent. SIPRI noted that several conflicts in the region, including the war in Sudan, involved arms transfers from multiple suppliers, among them Turkey.
The report said imports by European NATO members rose sharply after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Arms imports by the alliance’s European members increased 143 percent in 2021–2025 compared with 2016–2020, with 58 percent of those imports coming from the United States. SIPRI said threat perceptions related to Russia, together with uncertainty over Washington’s long-term commitment to European defense, helped drive the surge in demand.
Russia’s arms exports fell 64 percent over the period, while other major European exporters posted gains. France increased its arms exports by 21 percent, Germany by 15 percent and Italy by 157 percent.
Elsewhere, Israel ranked seventh among global arms exporters, with a 4.4 percent share of global exports, while its exports rose 56 percent over the previous five-year period. India was the largest buyer of Israeli arms at 29 percent, followed by Germany at 21 percent and the United States at 7.8 percent. Israel also ranked 14th among arms importers, with 68 percent of its imports coming from the United States and 31 percent from Germany. Ukraine was the world’s largest arms importer in 2021–2025, accounting for 9.7 percent of global imports, ahead of India, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Pakistan
