2 yıl önce

Türkiye reduces defence industry's foreign dependency

President Erdogan says that Türkiye’s goal is to be “fully independent in the defence industry”.

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Türkiye has become a supplier country in the global defence industry.

In just two decades, Türkiye has made significant strides in its defence industry, reducing its foreign dependency from 80 percent to 20 percent, the country’s president has said.

Speaking on Sunday at the delivery ceremony of new Altay tanks to the Turkish Armed Forces for tests in the northwestern Sakarya province, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan highlighted that Türkiye’s goal is to be “fully independent in the defence industry”.

“We have reduced the foreign dependency in the defence industry from around 80 percent to some 20 percent in such a short time as 20 years. The number of defence projects, which was merely 62 in 2002, has today surpassed 750,” Erdogan said.

The Turkish leader also said that while Türkiye's total budget for defence projects was $5.5 billion in 2002, now it has reached a $75-billion project volume, including the ones in the bidding process.

Erdogan stressed that behind every product developed in the defence industry lies years-long efforts, patience, work and financial power.

“This is how each of our UCAVs (unmanned combat aerial vehicles) — which stand out all across the world today — and our armoured land vehicles, warships, frigates and missiles, as well as other systems, which are greatly admired, have emerged," he added.

Türkiye has become a supplier country for the defence industry, with its products used by many armies, the president also underlined.