Speaking at a ceremony for the delivery of the Burgazada Corvette and the start of the construction of the Aydınreis Submarine, President Erdoğan said: "We will never allow initiatives that are aimed at rendering it almost impossible for Turkiye to set foot in the sea. We will also never allow initiatives that ignore our country and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and that are aimed at virtually usurping the natural resources in the Eastern Mediterranean."

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan delivered a speech at a ceremony held for the delivery of the Burgazada Corvette, the third ship of the MİLGEM (National Ship) Project, and the start of the construction of the Aydınreis Submarine.

"We will never allow initiatives that are aimed at rendering it almost impossible for Turkiye to set foot in the sea"

Stating that every ship that has joined the fleet increases Turkiye's strength, deterrence, and mobility at seas, and its determination to preserve the national interests, President Erdoğan noted: "The recent incidents in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean have once again shown that our Naval Forces should be just as strong as other units of ours. We will never allow initiatives that are aimed at rendering it almost impossible for Turkiye to set foot in the sea. We will also never allow initiatives that ignore our country and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and that are aimed at virtually usurping the natural resources in the Eastern Mediterranean."

"We do not have our eye on anyone's rights, especially on anyone's lands. All we do is to defend the rights of our country and of our brothers and sisters," President Erdoğan continued and added: "Those who assumed they could engage in activities in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean at the cost of Turkiye have now started to understand how wrong they were. We will not allow bandits at sea, just as we have punished terrorists in Syria."

"External dependence in defense industry has decreased to some 35%"

"Turkiye has cut down external dependence in defense industry from some 80% to some 35% because of our sensitivity with regard to domestic and national design, development and production," President Erdoğan further stressed.

"It is evident that the more we develop the defense industry, the engine of technological progress, the more advanced we will get in other areas, as well. In the upcoming period, we will increase the support for this area, which will give us a competitive advantage globally," he noted. (ILKHA)