“We have reduced the foreign dependency in defense industry from 80 per cent to 20 per cent”

 

Speaking at the delivery ceremony of new ALTAY tank to the Turkish Armed Forces for tests, President Erdoğan said: “Thanks be to Allah, we have reduced the foreign dependency in defense industry from around 80 per cent to some 20 per cent in such a short time as 20 years. The number of the defense projects, which was merely 62 in 2002, has today surpassed 750.”

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made a speech at a ceremony held for the delivery of new ALTAY tank to the Turkish Armed Forces for tests.

Behind every product developed in defense industry lies years-long efforts, patience and works as well as a financial power, President Erdoğan noted, and said: “This is how each of our UCAVs, which stand out all across the world today, and our armored land vehicles, warships, frigates, missiles as well as other systems, which are greatly admired, has emerged. Just like in other areas, we have set to work here as well by changing the paradigm first. Instead of the easy, we have chosen the difficult and the one that is the most auspicious for our country although it takes time.”

Underscoring that they have set their goal as “fully independent defense industry”, President Erdoğan stated: “Thanks be to Allah, we have reduced the foreign dependency in defense industry from around 80 per cent to some 20 per cent in such a short time as 20 years. The number of the defense projects, which was merely 62 in 2002, has today surpassed 750. While the total budget of our defense projects was 5.5 billion dollars in 2002, we have now reached a 75-billion-dollar project volume, including the ones in the bidding process.”