Turkey vital to global, regional peace, premier says

By Muhammed Ali Gurtas and Dilara Zengin

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkey is vital to maintaining stability and security in Europe and the Middle East, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Tuesday.

Speaking at an international defense fair in Istanbul, Yildirim said: “Unfortunately, the world does not give sufficient support to the rule of law, human rights and democracy. Preserving the rule of law and security of life and property has reached a vital point in today’s world where mercy and justice are not on the rise.

"We need more courageous people in order to ensure peace, democracy and justice.”

The premier said that Turkey’s security policy was based on "defending people’s lives".

"Therefore, we have been embracing millions of victims of war from the Balkans to the Middle East for many years," he said.

"According to UN figures, Turkey hosts the highest number of refugees and it is the most generous country not only in human aid but we also follow an active policy of collaboration with all friends in fighting against terrorism."

Turkey has been embroiled in combating PKK and far-left terrorism since the 1980s and has more recently taken on Daesh and the Fetullah Terrorist Organization, which it has accused of launching last July's attempted coup.

"If there is a threat from within or outside, we will not look at who they are or where it comes from," Yildirim said. "We will continue to do whatever is necessary.”

Reiterating the regional significance of Turkey -- the world’s 17th and Europe’s 6th largest economy -- he added: "As it is impossible to think of Europe’s security without Turkey, finding solutions to problems in the Middle East without Turkey is also impossible."

The defense fair, which has been held since 1993 and is the fifth biggest of its kind in the world, is a chance for Turkish defense companies to showcase their products alongside arms from around the world.

“The fair has proved to be a very successful role model show since 1993,” Yildirim said.

- Defense cooperation

Defense Minister Fikri Isik also addressed the fair, heralding it as a significant platform for friendship and partnership among allies.

Noting the challenges posed by international terrorism, he said these threats could lead to increased defense budgets and expenditure and called for greater technology transfer and joint projects.

"Some countries cannot always win and some countries cannot always lose," he said. "This cannot be a sustainable system. Win-win structures and solutions should be opted for in the defense industry. In this respect, IDEF17 prepares the way for a structure in which all parties can win."

Isik went on to boast of the success of Turkey's defense industry, which is seeking to become self-reliant.

"We are no longer a country which only produces manufacturing components but also a country which has an ability of technology manufacturing," he told delegates.

"We have rapidly lowered our dependency on foreign countries and we have increased the share of local industry to over 60 percent from 24 percent."

The industry's revenue stood at around $6 billion while its export totaled $1.7 billion, he added. The industry provides employment for more than 60,000 workers.

Undersecretary for Defense Industries Ismail Demir said Turkey had developed its current defense and security capabilities in line with the 2023 target for meeting its defense needs through local manufacturers.

He said the Turkish defense industry was utlitizing more than 1,000 small- and medium-sized enterprises, research organizations and universities and two Turkish firms were among the world's top 100 defense companies.

Nearly 800 companies from more than 50 countries are attending the fair to present the latest vehicles, equipment and systems used in the defense, security, maritime, aviation and space industries.