Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc. (TAI) was last year's export champion in the defense and aerospace industry, followed by TEI, Pratt & Whitney THY Technical Aircraft Engine Maintenance Center, ASELSAN and Alp Aviation. The most exported products in aerospace and defense last year were aircraft and helicopter parts and accessories.

According to data from the Defense and Aerospace Industry Exporters' Association (SSI), exports by the sector increased by 3.7 percent compared to the previous year, rising from $1.67 billion to $1.73 billion.

With its increased performance, the sector has become one of the areas where exports have expanded the most in the last five years. Defense and aerospace industry exports increased by 38 percent in the period of 2012 to 2017. This performance ranked the defense and aerospace sector fifth in sectors that experienced the largest increase in exports in the last five years.

As far as other industries, ships and yachts led the way with 65 percent, followed by olives and olive oil with 60.6 percent, jewelry with 59 percent, and the automotive industry with 49.7 percent.

The defense and aerospace industry achieved $1.26 billion in exports in 2012, while this figure reached $1.73 billion in 2017.

The most exported products in defense and aerospace last year were aircraft and helicopter parts and accessories. Exports of the said products increased by 8.1 percent compared to the previous year, reaching $524.4 million.Exports of turbojet and turboprop parts and accessories for other vehicles increased by 7 percent to $276.9 million, and turbojet exports for commercial aircrafts rose by 201.6 percent to $192.2 million, while exports of tanks and other armored combat vehicles surged by 7 percent to $111.8 million in the same period.

Last year, exports of single-shot smoothbore guns reached $77.6 million, followed by tank and other armored combat vehicle parts and accessories with $41.6 million, other smooth bore hunting rifle or target shotgun with $36.5 million, and bullets for combat weapon and other ammunition exports with $36.5 million.

Aircraft and helicopter parts and accessories accounted for 30 percent of exports, while parts and accessories for turbojets and turboprops and turbojets for commercial aircrafts received 16 percent and 11 percent, respectively.

In line with these developments in the sector, TAI became the largest exporting company in 2017, followed by TUSAS Engine Industries Inc. (TEI), Pratt & Whitney THY Technical Aircraft Engine Maintenance Center Limited Company, ASELSAN and Alp Aviation, respectively.

In 2016, on the other hand, the export ranking in the sector in order of size was TAI, TEI, Machinery and Chemical Industry Institution (MKEK), FNSS, and ASELSAN.