President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated, “Yesterday, we have reached a point where we can export to countries that do not provide us with defense industry technology products, even if they pay for it.”
Erdoğan spoke at Türkiye’s largest technology festival, TEKNOFEST, held at Adana Şakirpaşa Airport, where Anadolu Agency is a global communication partner.
In his speech, Erdoğan said, “I want you to know that reaching TEKNOFEST, which makes us all proud today, and producing the advanced technology products here was never easy. Especially in the last 22 years, none of our achievements were handed to us on a silver platter. We faced difficulties, encountered obstacles, and were subjected to sabotage. We experienced betrayals from both inside and outside. We witnessed and lived through all kinds of injustices and double standards. Whatever we have achieved, we did it through our own efforts. We succeeded through the sweat of our brows. We succeeded by putting our hearts and, when necessary, our lives on the line. Yesterday, we have reached a point where we can export to countries that do not provide us with defense industry technology products, even if they pay for it.”
Erdoğan also provided information that “For the first time in our history, we have surpassed the $1.1 trillion threshold in national income, look at where we have come from. We have increased the share of domestic and national production in the defense industry to around 80%. We are among the top three countries in the world in unmanned aerial vehicles.”
He mentioned that they have increased the number of Research and Development Centers from zero to 1,328, adding, “We have completed 66,250 projects here, and 14,634 projects are ongoing. Twenty-two years ago, there were only 2 technoparks; today, we have 104 technoparks. While we had no design centers, we now have 332 design centers. In these centers, 13,101 projects have been completed, and 2,262 projects are ongoing. If we were to count more like these, it would take hours to list the strong infrastructure we have established in our country over the last 22 years.”
Erdoğan emphasized that they are striving to build a 21st-century Türkiye centered around youth through science and technology, stating that the most significant representation of a new, large, and powerful Türkiye is this year’s TEKNOFEST, which is being held for the 10th time.
Source: AA