ISTANBUL: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday welcomed an agreement under which Spain will procure Turkish-made HURJET training aircraft, describing it as evidence of Turkey's "pioneering role" in defense and aviation industry.
Under the deal, signed this week, the Spanish Air Force will acquire 30 HURJET aircraft from Turkey in a contract valued at around 2.6 billion euros, according to Turkish officials.
Speaking at an event in Istanbul, Erdogan said Turkiye had become a globally recognized player in the defense and aviation sectors.
"Most recently, the agreement we concluded with Spain has confirmed our country's pioneering role in this field," Erdogan said.
He added that the inclusion of HURJET in the inventory of a European Union and NATO member state would further expand Turkey's opportunities in the coming years.
On Tuesday, Haluk Gorgun, head of Turkiye's defense industry agency, described the agreement as more than a simple aircraft sale.
"This is not merely a training aircraft deal," Gorgun said. "It is a comprehensive package that includes ground systems, simulation systems, maintenance and sustainment services, as well as a cooperation model."
He added that the agreement underscored the deepening of defense industry and high-technology cooperation between Turkiye and Spain, noting that the aircraft configuration would be updated over time to meet Spain's specific operational requirements.
Turkiye has steadily expanded its defense exports in recent years, including drones sold to multiple countries.
Erdogan said Turkiye's defense exports, which stood at $248 million in 2002, had increased nearly 40-fold to reach $9.8 billion in 2025.
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