President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan highlighted Türkiye’s significant advancements in defense during the New Generation Fırtına Howitzer Delivery Ceremony. He recalled that when his administration first took office, only 20% of Türkiye’s defense industry was based on domestic resources. Today, that figure has climbed to 80%, marking a historic achievement that has reduced foreign dependency and strengthened national security capabilities.

Erdoğan drew particular attention to the technological upgrades in the Fırtına self-propelled howitzers, emphasizing their enhanced survivability, increased firepower, and modernized systems. He stressed that these advancements provide the Turkish Armed Forces with superior deterrence and operational capabilities. He further noted that continued investment in the defense sector is reinforcing Türkiye’s strategic independence.

The President also pointed to the rapid growth in defense exports, underlining that Türkiye has earned global recognition for its achievements. In particular, he highlighted the country’s leadership in UAV and UCAV technologies, placing Türkiye among the world’s leading nations in this field. Erdoğan remarked that these platforms have played a transformative role in modern warfare and expanded Türkiye’s influence internationally.

Looking ahead, Erdoğan announced that under the 2023 vision, the National Combat Aircraft will be unveiled, along with the launch of several new defense projects. He emphasized that these upcoming initiatives will further strengthen Türkiye’s defense capabilities and cement its role as both a regional and global power in the defense sector.