Defying the odds: a political economy analysis of Turkey’s defence industry within the systemic vulnerability framework
Abstract
Turkey is widely regarded as a case of relative failure in terms of the developmental impact of its state-led initiatives, yet its defence industry yielded surprising political, military, and economic gains. What explains Turkey’s relative success in the defence industry? This study argues that a confluence of global, regional, international, and domestic factors enabled and motivated Turkey’s policymakers to genuinely make progress in the defence industry. The analysis enriches systemic vulnerability framework by providing a deeper understanding of how it functions for a non-hegemonic power to leverage niche strengths in asserting agency within an increasingly multipolar yet uncertain global order.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Turkey's Politics and Society
Defense
Military
and Policy Studies
International Relations and Foreign Policy
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Journal of Economic Policy Reform
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Volume
- 29
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 352–370
- Publication date
- 1 July 2026
- Language
- EN