According to the recent report of MMO (Chamber of Mechanical Engineers), spending on military and police forces make up 5% of national revenue in Turkey.

Security expenditures higher than spending on education and health fields

BirGün Ankara

In the 19th release of the monthly report of MMO on industrial topics, prepared by contributions of economist Mustafa Sönmez, the issue of ‘spending on military and police forces and the weapons industry’ has been elaborated.

USA stands as the ‘gendarmerie of the world’

In the research conducted through studies of data released by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Turkish ministries of national security and treasury, and

International Organization for Standardization (ISO), security spending in the world and Turkey, as well as the latest status of the weapons industry, was examined.

The main findings of the research are as the following:

“In 2015, the highest spending on security was made by USA – perceived as the ‘world’s gendarmerie’ – in the amount of 596 billion dollars. This means a spending of 854,000 dollars per person in a year. It also corresponds to a ratio of %3.3 of the US annual national income.”

In Turkey, spending on security is 5% national income

“Turkey’s spending on military ranges between 2 and 2.5% of the annual national income. When this is added up with the domestic security expenditures, the total spending on military and police forces comes down to 5% of the national income. On the other hand, the budget allocated both for health and education remains below this rate with a ratio of around 4% for each of the two.”

“In weapons exports, USA was again ranked in the first place in 2015 with its spending of 10.5 million dollars. In 2014, the total sales value of the first 100 global security and aviation firms were 1.5 trillion dollars; and, %30 of this has been on sales of weapons.”

Two Turkish firms make it in the list of first 100

According to the report, the two firms that have made it to the first 100 list of security firms in the world are Aselsan and Tusaş, with former ranked as 73rd, and the latter as 89th. Of the total 30-32 billion dollars worth of military and national security spending of Turkey, 7-8 billion dollars are spent on weapons and ammunition obtained domestically and internationally.

Mentioning the 40 years long history of this weapons industry of Turkey, the report also included the following data: “While MKEK (Mechanical and Chemical Industry Company) maintains its status as the highest ranked producer in the sector, the highest demand is received from TSKGV (Turkish Armed Forces Foundation) firms. 4 of the 6 of the Foundation’s shareholders - Aselsan, Tusaş/Taı, Havelsan, and Roketsan İSO 500 – hold their place in the list of major industrial institutions every year, and, their share of the sector’s total turnover goes over 50%. The largest private firms in the weapons industry belong to the one of prominent actors of the industry, Koç Group. Nurol is another leading group within the sector.”

‘An atmosphere of peace at home and abroad…’

MMO’s report also included the following statements:

“Disarmament and cutting down of the budgets spared for military and police force, and, allocation of these resources in social fields and shaping the industry along this line is possible if and only the precept of ‘Peace at home, peace in the world’ is put into practise. So long Turkey achieves an atmosphere of peace both at home and abroad, both armament efforts and efforts of advancing the weapons industry in order to obtain supplies domestically can remain in ‘acceptable’ extends; and, at least, it would not constrain the budget of social fields.”

Source: https://www.birgun.net/haber-detay/guvenlik-harcamasi-egitim-ve-sagligin-onunde-123893.html