Local input to Turkish defense industry at 60 percent: PM Yıldırım

ISTANBUL – Anadolu Agency

“Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım has said Turkey’s domestic contributions in the defense industry have surpassed 60 percent.” 

Speaking at a logistics support ship launching ceremony in Istanbul on July 8, Yıldırım said the ship will “make the Turkish Navy more powerful.”

“We have made great progress in the defense industry in the last 15 years. We have increased local contributions from 24 percent to over 60 percent. The target is even bigger,” he added.

According to Yıldırım, 50 years ago people were discussing whether or not Turkey could build ships, but today Turkey can not only build ships of every category, capacity and ability but they can even satisfy the needs of other countries.

Among the 30 countries making up 90 percent of the world merchant marine fleet, Turkey has risen to 14th place. Turkey has completed 14 military ship projects in the last 15 years and provided more than $30 billion to the national defense industry in the same period, the prime minister said.