UPDATE - Türkiye will continue efforts to become fully independent in defense industry: President Erdogan

ADDS MORE REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT, REVISIONS THROUGHOUT

By Esra Tekin

ISTANBUL (AA) — Türkiye will continue its efforts to become fully independent in the defense industry, the country's president said on Friday.

"We will not stop or turn back from our path until we achieve the goal of a fully independent Türkiye in the defense industry," Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during a rally in the northern province of Cankiri.

Erdogan also said the KAAN, Türkiye's homegrown fighter aircraft, will be delivered in 2028 to the Turkish Air Force, adding that KAAN will protect Türkiye's skies from then on.

"Despite all kinds of embargoes, our fifth-generation fighter aircraft KAAN successfully completed its first flight," he said, adding that the KAAN instilled confidence in "our allies and fear in our enemies."

"From Asia to Europe and America, those who know what it means to have this technology are following KAAN very closely," Erdogan stated.

He added that Türkiye had begun preparations to build "an even larger aircraft carrier following the TCG Anadolu," which entered service in Türkiye's navy in April last year.

Underlining that Turkish-made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) have been in use in almost 50 different countries, Erdogan said UAVs are crucial to Türkiye's fight against terrorism.

He said there would be no safe haven for terrorist groups, underlining that Turkish security forces are able to detect terrorists beyond the country's borders, roughly 300-350 kilometers (about 185-220 miles) away, and "neutralize" them "when they least expect it."

"We exact a heavy price, in equal measure, from these packs of killers who take aim at our state and attack the children of our homeland," he added.