“Our defense industry greatly contributes to the Turkish economy”
Speaking at the delivery ceremony of T625 Gökbey helicopters, President Erdoğan said: “With more than 3,500 companies and more than 90,000 employees, our defense industry is one of the sectors that make the greatest contribution to the Turkish economy. We are by far the world's largest manufacturer in the unmanned aerial vehicle market. Since 2018, Turkish companies, including TAI, have made 65 percent of UCAV sales worldwide.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan delivered a speech at the delivery ceremony of T627 Gökbey helicopters at the facilities of the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) in Ankara.
Congratulating the citizens on October 29th Republic Day, President Erdoğan wished Allah’s mercy on the five martyrs, who lost their lives in the treacherous terrorist attack against TAI on October 23rd.
“WE WILL NEVER GIVE WAY TO COMPLACENCY IN ELIMINATING THE TERRORIST THREAT AGAINST TÜRKİYE”
“I have no doubt that everyone at TAI will honor the legacy of the martyrs and hand it over to future generations in a much stronger way,” President Erdoğan said. “Such treacherous attacks can never break our resolve and determination in the fight against terrorism, nor can they set us back from our path. We will never give way to complacency in eliminating the terrorist threat against our country at its source. Wherever we detect a threat to our country, whether within or beyond our borders, no one can stop us from eliminating it. For this purpose, we will not hesitate to utilize all the means at our disposal, all the tools, all the means to end terrorism.”
Highlighting the heavy blows dealt to the separatist terrorist organization in recent years thanks to the new counter-terrorism concept, President Erdoğan said: “We do not let the terrorists beyond our borders breathe.”
President Erdoğan said that they have consolidated the security of the Iraqi border with Operation Claw-Lock and removed, in the south, the terrorist organization from the border cities through the operations in Syria.
“WE WILL LIVE IN PEACE, UNITY AND SOLIDARITY FOR MANY CENTURIES TO COME”
“We will persist in our endeavor until we reach our goal of a country and region free of terror. Of course, while doing so, we will not play into the hands of terror barons and their bosses who use them as pawns,” President Erdoğan said.
“Our experience of 40 years has taught us that the primary goal of terror is to dynamite the eternal and everlasting brotherhood of our nation. We can only prevent this by consolidating our internal front. 85 million of us will live side by side in peace and tranquility, in unity, solidarity and brotherhood for many centuries to come,” President Erdoğan underlined.
“Violence and terrorism have no place in our country's or our region's future,” President Erdoğan underscored.
“DOMESTIC PRODUCTION RATE OF THE DEFENSE INDUSTRY HAS EXCEEDED 80 PERCENT”
Recalling that Türkiye suffered from restrictions and embargoes in its recent history due to its external dependency in defense industry, President Erdoğan said: “The 2004 Defense Industry Executive Committee Meeting marked a turning point for our national defense industry. We focused on developing the products we need with domestic and national capabilities and procuring them locally. We have seen the positive results of this decision. Thanks to the policies we have implemented, the domestic production rate of the defense industry, which was around 20 percent, has now exceeded 80 percent. With more than a thousand domestic defense industry projects and a project portfolio worth $100 billion, we have become a self-sufficient country in this field. With more than 3,500 companies and more than 90,000 employees, our defense industry is one of the sectors that make the highest contribution to the Turkish economy. We are by far the world's largest manufacturer in the unmanned aerial vehicle market. Since 2018, Turkish companies, including TAI, have made 65 percent of UCAV sales worldwide.”
“WE WILL BUILD THE STEEL DOME”
“In addition to UAVs and UCAVs, we will focus on the development of various naval combat platforms, from unmanned and autonomous naval vehicles to submarine platforms and aircraft carriers. Today, the importance of our layered air defense systems for our security is much more appreciated. We need to strengthen our layered air defense systems to eliminate many asymmetric threats, from preventing terrorist infiltration to preventing attacks from hostile elements,” President Erdoğan said.
Pointing to Türkiye’s layered air defense system project, the Steel Dome, President Erdoğan said: “We will build the Steel Dome.”
“We will not rest until we make our dream of a fully independent Türkiye in the defense industry come true,” President Erdoğan said. “We will work harder in defiance of traitors; we will produce more in defiance of those cowards; we will develop more in defiance of imperialists. We will reach much more advanced positions in defiance of the malevolent people, at home and abroad. We will persist in our endeavor with perseverance, patience and determination until we build the Century of Türkiye.”
