Turkey’s parliament has approved a 6.71 percent increase in the country’s defense budget, according to budget figures released after a debate.

The budget, drafted in October and debated in parliament since then, took effect Dec. 20 after a parliamentary vote in favor of it.

According to the 2014 budget figures, Turkey’s defense ministry got an annual budget worth $10.908 billion, up 7.15 percent from $10.18 billion in 2013. . . .

About half of Turkey’s defense budget goes to personnel spending (salaries, benefits and pensions), with the rest mostly going to finance new equipment and maintenance.

Image: F-16C Falcon from the Turkish Air Force (photo: SRA Alan Port/DoD)