Defense and aerospace recruitment in Turkey. Engineers for Ankara and Istanbul.
For defense and aerospace recruitment in Turkey we search directly for embedded software, RF, mechanical design, systems engineering and AS9100 quality specialists, screen them technically and present only candidates who fit, for employers in Turkey. We handle positions in Ankara (OSTİM, Kahramankazan, technology parks) from our Istanbul office and also serve companies around the SAHA cluster in Istanbul.
- Fee only on hire
- İŞKUR-licensed since 2011
- Reply within one working day
Companies that trust us
Why engineers are hard to find in Turkish defense
At the end of 2023 the Turkish defense and aerospace industry employed 90,969 people, 35,478 of them engineers and project specialists. The sector added 9,837 people net that year, and exports rose by 48 percent to 10.05 billion US dollars in 2025. As prime contractors grow, Tier-2 and Tier-3 suppliers compete for the same people, and a job ad rarely reaches an experienced embedded or RF engineer: they are not looking, they are busy on their programmes. You reach them directly, in the language of the sector.
Your advantages
- Fast shortlistFirst suitable profiles usually within two weeks.
- Interviews that know the sectorTechnical screening by standard, platform and programme phase.
- One contactThe same consultant from opening the role to the first working day.
Job ads, a generalist agency or a specialist
In defense programmes a wrong or late hire is expensive: slipping deliveries, repeated tests, open findings at the customer audit.
The usual way
- Post and waitAn ad on a job portal, hundreds of applications. The experienced engineer you need does not apply, because they are not looking.
- Generalist agencyRetail today, logistics tomorrow. Questions about DO-178C, AS9100 or RF measurement get lost in the first call, and screening lands back on your desk.
- Clearance as an afterthoughtThe confidentiality requirements of the role are not explained at offer stage; months later the process becomes a surprise.
- Guessing AnkaraAn offer made without knowing Ankara salary levels and competing offers is turned down at the last step.
How we work
- Direct searchWe approach candidates who are not looking; ads are just one channel.
- Technical screeningYou only see profiles that really match the role.
- Clearance explained earlyClearances stay with the employer; we prepare candidates for the process.
- Ankara from IstanbulWe run Ankara searches from our Istanbul office.
The roles we search for
The technical roles prime contractors and Tier-2 and Tier-3 suppliers open most often. We also run searches for managers and project leads.
Hiring in Turkish defense and aerospace: what to know
Sector size, the clusters in Ankara and Istanbul, role profiles and security clearances, as of 2026.
The sector in figures
According to the sector report of the Defence and Aerospace Industry Manufacturers Association (SaSaD), the industry reached a turnover of 15.07 billion US dollars in 2023 and employed 90,969 people. 39 percent are engineers and project specialists, 45 percent technicians and operators. In August 2025 the Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB) put the workforce at around 100,000 people with an average age of 34.
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Total employees | 90,969 (+12.1 %) | 2023 |
| Engineers and project specialists | 35,478 (39 %) | 2023 |
| Technicians and operators | 40,936 (45 %) | 2023 |
| Net new jobs | 9,837 | 2023 |
| R&D and product development spend | 2.62 billion US dollars | 2023 |
| Defense and aerospace exports | 10.05 billion US dollars (+48 %) | 2025 |
| New contracts signed | 17.8 billion US dollars (+78 %) | 2025 |
Quellen: SaSaD Sector Performance Report 2023 · SSB export figures 2025 (İstiklal, 3 Jan 2026) · SSB on sector employment (Milliyet, 19 Aug 2025)
Ankara: OSTİM, Kahramankazan and the technology parks
Ankara is home to the prime contractors and hundreds of suppliers working for them. The defense and aerospace cluster in OSTİM brings together machining, electronics and wire harness manufacturers; aerospace sites and their suppliers concentrate around Kahramankazan; software and electronics teams work in ODTÜ Teknokent, Bilkent Cyberpark and Hacettepe Teknokent. 168 of the 1,365 R&D centres in Turkey are in Ankara.
We have no office in Ankara. We run Ankara searches from our Istanbul office: candidate interviews take place online, the meeting with the employer and final interviews at your site.
Quellen: R&D centres in Türkiye reach 1,365 (AA, 23 Oct 2026)
Istanbul: the SAHA cluster and the supply chain
In Istanbul, defense, aerospace and space manufacturers and suppliers are organised in the SAHA Istanbul cluster. Companies building unmanned aerial vehicles, electronics, composites and precision parts are spread across the industrial zones and technology parks on both sides of the city. With 428 of the country’s R&D centres Istanbul leads by far, which means a large engineering pool, but automotive, white goods and software companies compete for the same people.
Our office is in Bakırköy, Istanbul. For Istanbul roles we meet candidates in person.
Quellen: R&D centres in Türkiye reach 1,365 (AA, 23 Oct 2026)
Role profiles: what we check
In defense programmes a good CV is not enough; standard, platform and programme phase decide. In the screening call we ask:
- Embedded software: which processor and RTOS, which DO-178C level, unit and integration testing, traceability to requirements.
- RF and electronics: frequency bands, the steps from design to measurement, lab equipment, involvement in EMI/EMC testing.
- Mechanical design: CAD tool, tolerancing, environmental and qualification testing, hand-over to production.
- Systems engineering: requirements management, interface control documents, verification plans, customer reviews (PDR, CDR).
- Quality: AS9100D audits, first article inspection (AS9102), supplier quality, non-conformance and corrective action.
Security clearances: the employer’s responsibility
Classified programmes require a facility security clearance (Tesis Güvenlik Belgesi) for the site and a personnel security clearance (Kişi Güvenlik Belgesi) for the employee. Applying for and running these processes is the employer’s responsibility; as a private employment agency we neither issue clearances nor run the process.
Our part comes before it: we agree the confidentiality level of the role with you at the start and tell candidates in the first call that the process exists and roughly how long it takes. That keeps surprises out of the offer stage.
This service is for Turkey only: employers operating in Turkey and candidates in Turkey. We do not place defense candidates outside Turkey.
Foreign companies: industrial participation and offset
In SSB programmes foreign contractors often take on industrial participation and offset obligations (Sanayi Katılımı ve Offset, SKO): work share, co-production or engineering activity in Turkey. For foreign companies that set up a joint venture, subsidiary or project office in Turkey to meet these obligations, we find engineers, quality specialists and project managers.
We run interviews in Turkish and English and write screening reports in English on request.
Licence and how we work
DEKRA Arbeit Türkei has been a private employment agency licensed by the Turkish Employment Agency (İŞKUR) since 2011 (licence certificate no. 507). Candidates never pay a fee; the employer does. We share a CV only with the candidate’s consent; personal data is processed under the Turkish data protection law (KVKK).
Quellen: Turkish Employment Agency (İŞKUR)
In four steps
Fees and model
We work on success: the fee is invoiced when the candidate starts, based on the annual gross salary. Candidates pay nothing.
- Success feeOnly once a hire is made, depending on the role and the annual gross salary.
- Free for candidatesAs an İŞKUR-licensed private employment agency we never charge candidates.
- Team build-upOne offer for several roles or a new programme team.
Lücke: Honorarsatz und Garantiezeit Personalvermittlung Türkei
Frequently asked questions
What does a defense recruitment agency in Turkey do?
It reaches experienced engineers and specialists who are not actively looking, screens them in a technical interview and presents a shortlist to the employer. We do this for defense and aerospace companies in Turkey, for embedded software, RF, mechanical design, systems engineering and quality roles.
Do you have an office in Ankara?
No. We run Ankara positions from our Istanbul office; candidate interviews take place online, final interviews with the employer at your site.
Do you handle the personnel security clearance?
No. The personnel security clearance (Kişi Güvenlik Belgesi) and the facility security clearance (Tesis Güvenlik Belgesi) are the employer’s responsibility. We clarify the requirements of the role at the start and brief candidates on the process in advance.
Do you place defense candidates outside Turkey?
No. Our defense service is for Turkey only: employers in Turkey and candidates in Turkey.
Do you work for foreign companies?
Yes. We find engineers and quality specialists for foreign companies, their joint ventures and subsidiaries that build teams in Turkey for industrial participation and offset obligations. Interviews run in Turkish and English.
Do you also recruit for other roles in Turkey?
Yes. For industry, robotics and engineering roles see our recruitment agency in Istanbul, for aircraft maintenance technicians our aviation recruitment in Turkey.
Do candidates pay for the service?
No. As an İŞKUR-licensed private employment agency we never charge candidates; the employer pays the fee.
Which role are you filling?
Tell us the role, the location (Ankara, Istanbul or another city) and the start date. Within 1 working day at the latest we reply with the market situation and a search plan.
The right engineer on the right programme.
In a first call we clarify the role, the requirements and the search plan.
