Recent Advances in Turkey's Defense; Tanks, Jets, and Stronger NATO Bonds

In late October 2025, Turkey made big steps in its defense world. On October 28, the country delivered its first Altay tanks to the army. These are home-made main battle tanks, built by BMC company. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan joined the ceremony in Ankara. He opened a new factory that will make eight tanks each month. The plan is to build 250 tanks in five years. This helps Turkey depend less on other countries for weapons. For years, getting engines was hard. Germany stopped selling parts in 2019 because of fights in Syria. Now, Turkey uses engines from South Korea at first, and soon its own BATU engine. The Altay tank is fast—it goes 65 kilometers per hour on roads. It can cross deep water and climb steep hills. A team of four people runs it: a leader, shooter, loader, and driver. Qatar helped with money, as they own part of BMC.

At the same time, Turkey got closer to Europe. On October 27, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited and signed a huge deal. It is worth eight billion pounds for 20 Eurofighter Typhoon jets. These fighter planes come from the UK, Germany, Italy, and Spain. About 37 percent of each jet is made in the UK, creating thousands of jobs there. Starmer said it strengthens NATO's safety in the south-east, where Turkey helps guard. Erdoğan called it a new sign of friendship. Then, on October 30, German leader Friedrich Merz came. He agreed to the jet sale and said Europe must work more with Turkey. Germany had stopped arms sales before over human rights worries, but now they want a "strategic partnership." Trade between Turkey and Germany is over 50 billion dollars, and they plan more talks on security.

These news show Turkey's power in defense. It builds its own tanks and buys strong jets. This makes NATO stronger against big problems, like Russia's actions in Ukraine. But some issues remain, like talks on Cyprus and Turkey's courts. Still, experts think more deals will come. This mix of home tech and friend help brings hope for peace and jobs.

References

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/turkce/articles/cgr4921zq98o.amp

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/turkce/articles/ckg4q9x0gdeo.amp

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgk8zz7r5lo.amp

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8670d9xq32o

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/