Turkish defense industry ‘will move forward’

ANKARA

The defense industry is the leading sector of the national technology movement, Industry and Technology Minister Fatih Kacır has said, adding that the sector will be in a much better position than today in the future.

"Türkiye is a country that has been fighting terrorism for nearly 40 years and unfortunately has not been able to see its allies from time to time in this fight and has not been able to find the opportunity to access the defense industry systems it needs from time to time, despite paying for them,” Kacır said on Nov. 8 during talks on his ministry’s 2024 budget in a parliamentary commission.

“This has led Türkiye, especially in the last 20 years, to develop all of its critical platforms, including air, land, naval and space systems, domestically and nationally in the defense industry to meet its own needs,” he added.

Noting that the first flight of the national fighter is expected to take place by the end of 2023, Kacır said that the performance tests of the Hürjet project will continue.

“The Atak helicopter, our national helicopter, is in service,” he added.

“Let us make it very clear, we will not retreat even one inch from these projects, on the contrary, we will develop these projects much further than today for the peace, welfare and security of 85 million citizens living in Türkiye, for our independence and our future.”

Kacır also noted that the brain drain abroad has improved.

"According to the brain drain statistics referred to by the World Bank, in the ranking of 179 countries in 2023, our country has improved 21 places in the last six years, from 112 to 134,” the minister said.