Turkey begins 2026 with defense-spending numbers trending up

ISTANBUL — Turkey will spend the equivalent of $27.34 billion on defense and security in 2026, marking a 30% increase compared with the previous year.

The Turkish parliament approved the budget in late December, and it entered into force on Jan. 1. The Ministry of National Defence (MoND) is slate to get $19.08 billion, representing a 31.6% increase over its 2025 budget.

According to the Turkish Statistical Institute, the annual rate of change for the consumer price index was 30,38% in 2025.

Of the MoND allocation, 53.9% is earmarked for personnel costs and social security, 44.1% for procurement, with the remainder allocated to other capital expenditures.

The broader defense and security budget also includes funding for other ministries and government bodies, notably the Ministry of the Interior, the Gendarmerie General Command, and related security organizations. Of the total allocation, 97% is classified as military expenditure.

According to the Ministry of Finance, the $27.34 billion defense and security budget corresponds to 2.33% of GDP, broadly in line with NATO benchmarks. The ministry projects defense spending will rise further to 2.83% of GDP in 2027 and 3.2% in 2028.

For comparison, the 2025 budget projections had foreseen MoND spending of $17.30 billion in 2026, with total defense and security expenditure estimated at $24.59 billion.

The higher-than-projected increase reflects not only inflation adjustments but also Ankara’s commitment to sustained defense investment. It aligns Turkey with NATO’s broader trend toward increased military spending and underlines support for major procurement programs, including the KAAN indigenous fighter aircraft and the Steel Dome air-defense architecture.

Cem Devrim Yaylali is a Turkey correspondent for Defense News. He is a keen photographer of military ships and has a passion for writing about naval and defense issues. He was born in Paris, France, and resides in Istanbul, Turkey. He is married with one son.

伊斯坦布尔——土耳其将在2026年花费相当于273.4亿美元的资金用于国防和安全，比上一年增长30%。

土耳其议会于 12 月下旬批准了该预算，并于 1 月 1 日生效。国防部 (MoND) 预计将获得 190.8 亿美元的预算，比其 2025 年预算增加 31.6%。

根据土耳其统计局的数据，2025年消费者价格指数的年变化率为30.38%。

在MoND拨款中，53.9%用于人员成本和社会保障，44.1%用于采购，其余部分用于其他资本支出。

更广泛的国防和安全预算还包括对其他部委和政府机构的拨款，特别是内政部、宪兵总司令部及相关安全组织的拨款。在总拨款中，97%被列为军事支出。

据财政部称，273.4亿美元的国防和安全预算相当于国内生产总值的2.33%，与北约标准基本一致。财政部预计，国防开支将进一步上升，到2027年达到国内生产总值的2.83%，到2028年达到3.2%。

相比之下，2025 年的预算预测预计国防部在 2026 年的支出为 173 亿美元，国防和安全总支出预计为 245.9 亿美元。

高于预期增幅不仅反映了通胀调整，也体现了安卡拉对持续国防投资的承诺。这使土耳其与北约增加军费开支的总体趋势保持一致，并凸显了土耳其对包括KAAN国产战斗机和“钢铁穹顶”防空系统在内的重大采购项目的支持。

杰姆·德夫里姆·亚伊拉利是《防务新闻》驻土耳其记者。他热衷于拍摄军舰，并对海军和国防议题充满热情。他出生于法国巴黎，现居土耳其伊斯坦布尔。他已婚，育有一子。