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President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Thursday praised Türkiye’s defense industry as a symbol of resilience and innovation, saying that the sector has achieved global recognition despite years of obstacles.
Erdoğan’s remarks came as a special maritime-focused edition of Türkiye’s biggest aerospace and technology festival, Teknofest, kicked off in Istanbul.
“Those who want to see what faith and determination can achieve despite obstacles are today looking at Türkiye’s defense sector,” Erdoğan told the “Teknofest Blue Homeland” event.
“Our defense industry, which is a source of pride for our country, is literally writing a history in every field,” he said. “While our friends speak of our achievements with admiration, our adversaries are in a race to catch up with us, yet they will never be able to.”
The four-day event is being held at the Istanbul Shipyard Command. The public will be able to attend the event on Saturday and Sunday.
A day earlier, Erdoğan hailed a milestone as $460 million worth of components of Türkiye’s multilayered air defense system, known as “Steel Dome,” were delivered to the military.
The architecture has been in the making to provide integrated protection against low, medium and high-altitude threats through land-based and sea-based air defense platforms and sensors developed at home.
With the project, Türkiye is “entering a new league in air defense,” Erdoğan said, stressing that the “recent conflicts around us have revealed the importance of radar systems detecting incoming threats from the air.”
On Thursday, the president underscored that Türkiye’s progress inspires oppressed communities worldwide.
“Our defense industry initiatives today give courage to the oppressed,” he said. “From Palestine to Syria, Yemen to Somalia, Sudan to Libya, wherever our brothers and sisters face hardships, they take pride in Türkiye’s achievements.”
Erdoğan went on to reflect on the journey that brought Türkiye to this point.
“We did not listen to those who said, ‘It can’t be done.’ We ignored those who said, ‘You can’t achieve this.’ We gave no credit to those who dismissed us as dreamers,” he said.
“We trusted our people, our engineers, our companies, and above all, our youth. And in a very short time, we have reached a level admired across the world.”
Years of investments have helped Türkiye transform from a nation heavily reliant on equipment from abroad to one where homegrown systems meet almost all of its defense industry needs.
For years, Ankara has voiced frustrations over its Western allies’ failure to provide adequate defense against missile threats despite Türkiye being a NATO member.
Transformation over the last 20 years has prompted the development of a range of homegrown air, land and marine platforms, eventually helping lower Türkiye’s foreign dependency on defense from around 80% in the early 2000s to below 20% today.
The capabilities of its defense platforms, led by its combat drones, triggered unprecedented demand, which saw its defense exports peak at $7.15 billion in 2024, up from around $5.5 billion in 2023 and $4.4 billion in 2022.
Naval strength
Highlighting the naval achievements, Erdoğan pointed to TCG Anadolu, the flagship of the Turkish Navy and the world’s first drone carrier, which will be open to Teknofest visitors.
“Now we are building an even bigger one,” he said.
“At TCG Anadolu, visitors will see Bayraktar TB2 and TB3 drones, Kızılelma unmanned fighter jet, as well as armored vehicles like Zaha, Vuran and Kobra. They will witness firsthand how far Turkish naval capabilities have come.”
Visitors will also be able to tour some of Türkiye’s other advanced naval vessels, including TCG Istanbul frigate, TCG Burgazada anti-submarine corvette, TCG Oruçreis frigate, TCG Nusret minelayer and the TCG Sakarya and TCG Hızırreis submarines.
Erdoğan emphasized that strengthening defense is not only about military power but also about engaging young generations in technology, digital innovation and research.
“Teknofests have become the symbol of these efforts,” he said.
Teknofest has become a symbol of Türkiye’s technological ambitions, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
“Since we organized the first one in 2018, we have held 10 editions in Türkiye and 12 in total. In just eight years, nearly 11 million people have visited,” Erdoğan said.
Organized by the Industry and Technology Ministry and the Türkiye Technology Team Foundation (T3 Vakfı), the event features competitions in rocket design, unmanned aerial vehicles, artificial intelligence, blockchain, and underwater technologies.
Beyond competitions, Teknofest hosts exhibitions, air shows, workshops, and panels that bring together students, entrepreneurs, and tech enthusiasts.
The festival is held in various Turkish cities in even-numbered years and in Istanbul in odd-numbered years.
This year is seeing two editions, with the first having been held in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) in May. The Istanbul edition will be held from Sept. 17 through Sept. 21.
“All these numbers tell us that the Teknofest generation is breaking barriers and moving forward at full speed,” Erdoğan said.
“Türkiye’s youth are increasingly passionate about technology, discovery and innovation. Despite smear campaigns and provocations, our young people believe in themselves, trust their country, and look to the future with hope.”