Understanding Türkiye’s Missile Program

Despite the fact that most of the recent debates about Türkiye’s military ambitions have focused on the capabilities of drones and how to use them in various security crises, its missile program, and its drivers and achievements have not been discussed in political and academic circles. By the same token, numerous test-firing of ballistic and cruise missiles is a reminder that Ankara possesses a remarkable arsenal of such missiles. It also indicates that it aims to expand and enhance that arsenal. Therefore, the gradual increase of Türkiye’s military power and technological advancement in the field of ballistic and cruise missiles, no matter what goals, perceptions and characteristics it highlights, raise new questions about the progress made in this field. On this basis, understanding the dynamics of Türkiye’s missile program and how this level of capability is related to the arms race in the Middle East, along with the lessons Ankara's elites have learned during crises such as the Ukraine war and the nature of modern battles, is a goal that this article will consider. It particularly focuses on its dimensions and reasons for the development of a new analytical framework.