Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said Türkiye now ranks 11th in the world among defence industry exporters, highlighting the country’s growing role in global arms production while stressing that Ankara has no intention of provoking conflicts or infringing on other states’ sovereignty.
Speaking at a ceremony in Istanbul marking the handover of two naval vessels to the Romanian and Turkish navies, Erdoğan pointed to recent export performance and expanding shipbuilding capabilities as evidence of Türkiye’s defence industry growth, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.
“We have reached unimaginable heights in the defense sector. Last month, we achieved a historic success by exporting $996 million worth of defense and aerospace products,” he said.
He added that Türkiye is now “the 11th-largest exporter of defence products in the world” and among the few countries capable of building multiple warships simultaneously.
According to Erdoğan, “We are building more than 50 warships for export to friendly and allied nations.”
The president emphasised that Türkiye’s defence expansion is not aimed at escalating regional tensions, but rather at contributing to stability and security.
“Türkiye’s goal is not to create tension in the region, but to strengthen peace, justice, tranquility, and stability,” he said. “We do not seek to provoke crises, chaos, hostilities, or conflicts with anyone.”
At the same time, Erdoğan warned that Türkiye would firmly defend its own sovereignty and interests.
“We have no intention, nor have we ever had any intention, of encroaching upon anyone’s territory, sovereignty, legitimate rights, or interests. However, we will not allow anyone to encroach upon our sovereignty, threaten our country, or harm our interests,” he stated.
Erdoğan also said the global security environment is undergoing major transformation.
“The world is undergoing one of the most profound transformations since the Cold War, and a new security paradigm is emerging,” he said, adding that ongoing crises underline the importance of national defence capabilities.
He further noted Türkiye’s growing industrial capacity in naval production, including platforms ranging “from a national aircraft carrier to submarines,” with an estimated 80% localisation rate in production.
According to Erdoğan, research and development continues in unmanned naval systems, while the total value of ongoing defence projects has reached €25 billion.
By Sabina Mammadli
