Military and security service personnel strengths | approximately 495,000 active military personnel; approximately 150,000 Gendarmerie (2025) |
---|---|
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions | the military's inventory is comprised of domestically produced, European (particularly from Germany), and US weapons and equipment, as well as some Chinese, Russian, and South Korean acquisitions; it is a mix of older and modern weapons systems; Türkiye has a defense industry capable of producing a range of weapons systems for both export and internal use, including armored vehicles, naval vessels, and unmanned aerial vehicles/drones; Türkiye's defense industry also partners with other countries for defense production (2024) |
Military service age and obligation | mandatory military service for men at age 20; service can be delayed if in university or in certain professions (researchers, professionals, and athletic, or those with artistic talents have the right to postpone military service until the age of 35); 6-12 months service; women may volunteer (2023). note 1: after completing six months of service, if a conscripted soldier wants to and is suitable for extending his military service, he may do so for an additional six months in return for a monthly salary; all male Turkish citizens over the age of 20 are required to undergo a one month military training period, but they can obtain an exemption from the remaining 5 months of their mandatory service by paying a fee note 2: as of 2021, women made up about 0.4% of the military's full-time personnel |
Military deployments | approximately 200 Azerbaijan; approximately 250 Bosnia-Herzegovina (EUFOR); approximately 30,000 Cyprus; 325 Kosovo (NATO/KFOR); estimated 500 Libya; estimated 3,000 Qatar; estimated 800 Somalia (2025). note: Turkey estimated to maintain several thousand military forces in both Iraq and Syria |
Military expenditures | |
Military Expenditures 2025 | 2.3% of GDP (2025 est.) |
Military Expenditures 2024 | 2.1% of GDP (2024 est.) |
Military Expenditures 2023 | 1.5% of GDP (2023 est.) |
Military Expenditures 2022 | 1.4% of GDP (2022 est.) |
Military Expenditures 2021 | 1.6% of GDP (2021 est.) |
Want to know more about Turkey? Check all different factbooks for Turkey below.