Surrounded by war, Turkey more than triples defence spending

Turkey has unveiled plans to more than triple its defence spending over the next three years, driven by regional conflicts and a desire for a greater security footprint across Europe and the Middle East.

Rather than ramping up its purchases from Western allies, Nato’s second-largest military power will direct most of its 229 per cent budget increase between 2027 and 2029 towards expanding domestic production.

Announcing the plan on Sunday, Vice-President Cevdet Yilmaz said the aim was to ensure...