Although several Western nations, including the United States and Britain, are announcing cuts in defense spending, Turkey, a country with a relatively modest defense budget, is scheduled to boost such spending for the foreseeable future.
Turkey's defense budget for 2010 is nearly $16 billion, roughly 1.8 percent of the country's gross domestic product. Nearly $4 billion out of this amount goes to weapons procurement while the rest is being used for personnel, operations, logistics and maintenance expenses.
Part of Turkey's defense procurement spending is devoted to systems mainly designed for asymmetric warfare, that is, the threat posed by members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK. The acquisition of unmanned aerial vehicles and mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles fall into this category and are of the highest priority.
For more: Turkey looks to continue arms procurement despite questions - Hurriyet Daily News and Economic Review
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