Erdoğan touts defense tech as backbone of ‘Century of Türkiye’

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Feb. 24 that his administration sees defense industry technologies as the foundation of its "Century of Türkiye" vision.

“A strong defense architecture must encompass every area, from the depths of the sea to space, from land to cybersecurity. Thank God, with the advancements we have made in unmanned technologies over the last 23 years, we have now reached a level that amazes the whole world,” Erdoğan said in the capital Ankara.

The event at the headquarters of Turkish software and systems company Havelsan marked the commissioning of new underwater vehicle Sancar.

“We are developing all these technologies because we have a purpose, a cause; to build the Century of Türkiye, which will leave its mark on the century as a nation,” he added.

“We have no designs on anyone's land. We are never after power and influence based on domination. Our only concern is to build a Türkiye that contributes to global peace and security, tranquility and stability at the highest level, together with our region,” he said.

The president said his government reduced Türkiye’s reliance on foreign defense sources from about 80 percent to 20 percent.

“Our engineers, technicians, companies and shipyards have written a historic success story in the air, on land and at sea. Thank God, there is now a Türkiye that designs its own technology, produces its own software and exports its products to the whole world,” he said.

“There is now a Türkiye that meets the security needs not only of its own army but also, if requested, of its friends, brothers and allies.”

Erdoğan said defense exports rose 48 percent last year compared with the previous year, surpassing $10 billion, up from $248 million in 2002.

He added that Türkiye is currently the world’s 11th-largest defense exporter and aims to reach $11 billion in exports by 2028 to enter the top 10 globally in defense and aerospace exports.

“As of the end of 2023, our project volume in the defense industry has exceeded $100 billion, and the number of projects has surpassed 1,400... First and foremost, we believed in ourselves. We trusted our beloved nation. We invested in the youth of this country and paved the way for them,” he said.

Erdoğan said the goal of a “fully independent Türkiye” in defense has been adopted as a state policy, adding that critical technologies, platforms and infrastructure have been transformed into an evolving technology ecosystem.

“We have transformed our systems, platforms and infrastructure, especially critical technologies, into a constantly evolving and renewing technology ecosystem,” he said.

“Today, we can simulate our own domestic and national platforms and manage critical processes with our own software and engineering.”