Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan promised that Turkey would achieve independence in the field of defense industries, while Ankara sent a new message to Athens regarding the maritime borders.
In a speech he delivered today, Monday, during the ceremony of handing over 6 "Al-Asifa" howitzers to the Ground Forces Command in Sakarya (west of the country), Erdogan said that his government would not allow Turkey's defense achievements to be hindered, as happened in the past, adding that his country had put The goal is to completely end dependence on outsiders.
He added that this sector has witnessed a big leap since the Justice and Development Party assumed power in 2002, noting that the value of Turkish defense industries exports was 248 million dollars 20 years ago, and it rose to 4 billion and 400 million dollars during the past year.
He also confirmed that the number of Turkish companies active in the field of defense industries increased from 56 in 2002 to more than 2,000 companies by the end of 2022, explaining that research and development allocations for defense industries in Turkey increased from $49 million to $1.5 billion.
Erdogan said that the domestic production of defense industries rose to 80% after it was only 20% in 2002, and pointed out that the budget allocated to defense projects has now exceeded $60 billion from $5.5 billion 20 years ago, and Turkey has 7 companies on the list of the best. 100 leading companies in the field of defense industries.
The Turkish president affirmed that his country has achieved a great renaissance in this field over the past years with its national and local expertise and capabilities, and that it will not stop developing its defense industries until it achieves complete independence in this field.
He promised that the current year will witness the production of more combat equipment and mechanisms that will greatly contribute to strengthening the position of Turkish defense industries in the world.
Millî Savunma Bakanı Hulusi Akar'ın beraberinde Genelkurmay Başkanı Org.
Yaşar Güler ve Kuvvet Komutanları ile gittiği Gölcük'teki PİRİREİS Denizaltındaki incelemelerinden görüntüler… https://t.co/NEzbbPis8L#MSB #HulusiAkar pic.twitter.com/DmiZKdAwUI
- TC Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) January 9, 2023
Turkey rights
For his part, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar renewed his call to Greece to take a lesson from history and not to be led by allies who will let Athens down, as he put it.
During his visit to a Turkish naval base in Kocaeli province (east of Istanbul), Akar said, in response to Greek demands regarding the expansion of the territorial waters of Crete, that his country would not accept territorial waters wider than 6 miles.
During the visit, the Minister of Defense and the leaders of the Turkish army were briefed on the project to build Turkish submarines of the "Rais" class, including the tests conducted by the "Piri Reis" submarine, and Akar congratulated the Turkish Navy on the new submarines that will enter service in the future, according to the Anadolu News Agency.
The Turkish Minister of Defense confirmed that Turkey will not give up its rights and interests in the Aegean and Mediterranean seas and in Cyprus, and will not allow its rights to be infringed.
He also said that the armed forces did everything necessary to defend 85 million citizens, and that the Turkish army conducted operations and maneuvers recently, which are the most intense in the history of the Republic.
A week ago, Akar accused Greece of systematically fabricating crises with Turkey, and talked about measures taken by Ankara against any provocative action on the part of Athens.