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Military Strength: Flag of Iraq Iraq vs Flag of Turkey Turkey

Military Strength
Iraq Turkey
Global Military Index 41.6 (#44) 57.8 (#9)
Military personnel 459,000 512,000
– Reserve troops 0 378,700
– Paramilitary forces 266,000 156,800
Military aircraft 396 1,067
– incl. combat aircraft 53 299
– incl. bombers 0 0
– incl. helicopters 213 458
Military ships 62 192
– incl. aircraft carriers 0 0
– incl. submarines 0 13
Main battle tanks 1,025 2,238
Nuclear warheads 0 0
Military Forces Chart

Overview

Turkey (ranked #9 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than Iraq (#44) on the Global Military Index. Iraq fields 459,000 active troops vs 512,000 for Turkey, backed by 378,700 reserves and 156,800 paramilitary. Turkey's $31B defense budget is 4.5x that of Iraq ($7B).

In the air, Iraq operates 396 aircraft including 53 combat jets, while Turkey fields 1,067 with 299 fighters.

At sea, Iraq's 62-ship navy faces Turkey's 192 vessels, including 0 and 13 submarines respectively. On the ground, Iraq deploys 1,025 main battle tanks vs 2,238 for Turkey.

Neither Iraq nor Turkey possesses nuclear weapons.

Global Military Index

Full ranking →
🇮🇶 Iraq World #44
41.6/ 100
Six-pillar composite: manpower, ground forces, naval power, air power, nuclear deterrent and defense budget, with a readiness modifier from budget per soldier.
Pillar Weight Score Basis
Manpower 15% 75.3 272800 effective
Ground forces 20% 70.1 1025 main battle tanks
Naval power 20% 26.6 Carrier tiers, nuclear vs conventional submarines
Air power 25% 48.5 Weighted by aircraft type & fleet age
Nuclear deterrent 10% 0.0 No declared capability
Defense budget 10% 49.5 $7.0B, PPP-adjusted
Readiness modifier ×1.00 Budget per soldier
🇹🇷 Turkey World #9
57.8/ 100
Six-pillar composite: manpower, ground forces, naval power, air power, nuclear deterrent and defense budget, with a readiness modifier from budget per soldier.
Pillar Weight Score Basis
Manpower 15% 82.9 591590 effective
Ground forces 20% 75.7 2238 main battle tanks
Naval power 20% 61.2 Carrier tiers, nuclear vs conventional submarines
Air power 25% 62.7 Weighted by aircraft type & fleet age
Nuclear deterrent 10% 4.3 No declared capability
Defense budget 10% 70.6 $31.3B, PPP-adjusted
Readiness modifier ×1.06 Budget per soldier

Country Profile

Economy & Geography
Iraq Turkey
Population 46.0 million 85.5 million
GDP $279.6 billion $1.4 trillion
GDP per capita $6,074 $15,893
Military budget $7.0 billion $31.3 billion
– share of GDP 2.5% 2.3%
– share of govt spending 0.0% 0.0%
– per capita spending $152 $366
Land area 437,367 km² 769,632 km²
Coastline 58 km 7,200 km
Military Budget Evolution
Military Personnel Evolution
Economic Metrics Chart
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Frequently Asked Questions

Who has more military personnel, Iraq or Turkey?
Turkey has approximately 512,000 active military personnel compared to Iraq's 459,000.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Iraq or Turkey?
Turkey operates 299 combat aircraft compared to Iraq's 53. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Who has the larger navy, Iraq or Turkey?
Turkey has a larger navy with 192 vessels compared to Iraq's 62 ships. Iraq operates 0 submarines while Turkey has 13.
Which country spends more on defense, Iraq or Turkey?
Turkey has a larger defense budget at $31.3 billion (4:1 more) compared to Iraq's $7.0 billion annually.
Do Iraq and Turkey have nuclear weapons?
Neither Iraq nor Turkey currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of Iraq and Turkey compare?
Turkey operates 2,238 main battle tanks compared to Iraq's 1,025. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.