Statistical data reveal an increase on individual armament in Turkey, local media reported. According to the data of Hope Foundation (Umut Vakfı), an anti-gun organization in Turkey, there are at least 20 millions of privately owned weapons in Turkey, 85 percent of which are unregistered. This means that one out of every four people carry arms, within 80 million inhabitants of the country.
Turkey ranks 27th according to the individual armament rates around the world. The number of registered and unregistered individually owned weapons increased 10 folds within the last 10 years.
65 percent of armed crimes are committed by firearms, 85 percent of which are unregistered. In 2015 alone, 2175 armed crimes were reported in local media.
5 BILLION U.S. DOLLARS WORT SECTOR
Total turnover of Turkish Defence and Air Industry Sector reached 4.908 billion dollars in 2015. The average annual compound growth rate of the sector between 2010-2015 was 18 percent. While ground platforms ranked the first in sales volumes, military air industry followed ground platforms. A total of 31.375 qualified personnel are employed within the sector.
TURKISH COMPANIES INCREASED THEIR SALES
While Turkey ranks 6th in preeminent armament buyers and 16th in exporters, arms sales by Turkey is increasing. According to a global armament report of Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the total armament sales of Turkish companies increased at the rate of 10.2 in 2015.
ASELSAN, a company of Turkish Armed Forces Foundation specialized in telecommunications and electronic systems, is 69th in the top defence industry companies list of the Institute, up from 74th a year ago. TAI (Turkish Aerospace Industries), another important Turkish defence industry company, rose to 78th overall up from 91st a year ago. While the total turnover of ASELSAN is 1 billion dollars, it is 890 billion dollars for TAI.
