Turkey remains 15th largest military spender in world despite drop in expenses

Photo: Mark Garten/UN

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According to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Turkey's arms expenditures dropped for the third year in a row, but still remains at a considerable rate. The report states that Turkey's military expenditure fell by 4.4 percent in 2022 to 16.2 billion US dollars, down from 17 billion dollars in 2021.

Despite the decrease, Turkey remains the 15th largest spender on military in the world, and the seventh largest in Europe. The report shows that the total global military expenditure rose to 2.3 trillion dollars in 2022, a 2.6 percent increase compared to 2021. The United States was the largest spender on military in the world, accounting for 39 percent of the total global military expenditure, followed by China and India.

SIPRI's data reveals that the top 15 countries accounted for 81 percent of the total global military expenditure. Among these countries, Turkey had the highest military expenditure as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) at 3.1 percent, followed by Saudi Arabia and Israel.

The report notes that while military spending has increased in many parts of the world, it has decreased in others, including in Europe and North America. The report also states that the pandemic had a mixed impact on military expenditure, with some countries increasing their spending to address the health crisis, while others reduced their military spending due to the economic impact of the pandemic.

Overall, the SIPRI report shows that the global trend in military expenditure continues to rise, with many countries increasing their spending on military despite economic challenges and global crises. Turkey's decrease in military expenditure over the last three years may be a sign of a shift in priorities, but it remains to be seen whether this trend will continue in the coming years. (HA/VK)