Autograph from the boss: Erdogan and a Kizilelma plane
Image: via REUTERS
Under Erdogan, the Turkish defense industry made a great leap forward. This year, one hundred years after the founding of the republic, the country wants to present its own developments.
In the anniversary year of 2023, the Republic of Turkey wants to show the world what it is capable of 100 years after its founding. Even if President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s goal of making Turkey one of the ten leading economic nations is clearly missed, numerous projects will be completed or at least progressed by the anniversary, October 29, which the majority of Turks are proud of.
In the past two decades, i.e. in the Erdogan era, Turkey has made internationally recognized progress, particularly in the armaments industry. After the arms embargo imposed by the United States following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, Turkey established its own armaments companies. But it was only under Erdogan that they experienced a strong upswing. The industry is currently attracting many of the best young engineers.