Turkey Military Power 2020-2021

World ranking: 6

Overview

Established in 209BC, the Turkish Armed Forces have a long and proud history. Having its origins in the steppes of Central Asia, today the Turkish Armed Forces carries the prestige of dozens of empires. With the victory over invading forces, Mustafa Kemal established the secular Republic of Turkey, forming a solid base for today's Turkish Armed Forces. With Gulenist generals out, the Kemalists have once again gained control of the military, with the goal of propelling it towards regional superiority within a decade.

Capital: Ankara

Population: 82 million

Defence Budget: 19 billion

Total Personnel: 750,000

land forces

The Turkish land forces are heavily equipped with an assortment of armoured vehicles, SPGs, MLRSs and tanks. Many of these systems are domestically produced and have been used in cross border operations. Although the Sabra's and Leopard 2's are sufficient for now, Turkey must either upgrade its remaining M60s or figure out a solution for the Altay Tank engine if it is to carry on with its ambitions. Rocket projectors such the TRG-122, TRG-300 and Bora tactical ballistic missile system have proven to be highly effective in recent operations.

Tanks: 2,622

AFV: 11,200

MLRS: 600

SPG: 1,278

Air force

The F-16s form the core of the Turkish Air Force. Heavily upgraded and often serving as a test bed for new weapons and systems, F16s have long been an important tool. Turkish pilots have the luxury of being able to train on a frequent basis due to the volatility of the region. With the recent introduction of domestically produced combat drones F16s are being used less in the Southeast. The long flight endurance coupled with the expendability of the TB2 and Anka have made them favourites for bombing operations. So much so that Turkey is leading the way in drone combat experience.

Fighters: 270

Attack: 44

Armed UAVs: 130

Attack Helicopters: 105

Helicopters: 497

Other: 374

Navy

The Turkish Navy will play a large role in the upcoming struggle in the Eastern Mediterranean. Since 2006 It has been the focus of the Blue Homeland initiative, which seeks to secure Turkey's gas/oil fields in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean. Because of this many new vessels have been launched such as the Ada-class corvettes, TCG Anadolu LHD and the Bayraktar-class LSTs. It should be noted that the Bayraktar-class LSTs are the worlds largest LSTs and that along with the two planned LHDs will allow for massive amphibious deployments anywhere in the region. Many new ship models are set to be constructed in the coming years, giving the Turkish Navy an enormous edge over its regional rivals.

Total Vessels: 215

Carriers and LHDs: 1

Destroyers: 0

Frigates: 16

Corvettes: 12

Submarines: 12