The biggest military fair of Central and Eastern Europe, in which Turkey is the “leading country”, “MSPO International Defense Industry Fair” was opened with a ceremony.
The ceremony, in which Turkey was represented by Minister Akar, started with the Polish military band playing the National Anthem and the Polish national anthem.
Speaking at the ceremony, Akar said that it is a great honor to be the leading participant country of MSPO, especially at a time when defense industry cooperation between friends and allies is more important than ever.
Stating that the bilateral relations between Turkey and Poland date back to 1414, Akar said, “When Poland faced difficulties in the 19th century, our ancestors were strong supporters of Poland’s independence, sovereignty and integrity.” he said.
Pointing out that Polish nationals live in Polonezköy in Istanbul, which means “Polish village”, Akar emphasized that this symbolizes the historical friendship between the two countries.
Expressing that the cooperation between the two countries in the field of defense industry also has a history of one hundred years, Akar said that Turkey purchased a license in 1936 to build Poland’s P-24 aircraft, which was made entirely of metal, and that a group of Polish trainers, P-P. He explained that the 24s had support in the production of the Kayseri Aircraft Factory. Akar stated that as of 1939, Turkey had 50 P-24 aircraft and they remained in use for many years.
Expressing that Turkey warmly supports Poland’s NATO membership in 1999, Minister of National Defense Akar said, “Turkey and Poland today, as two NATO allies, have similar approaches to many regional and global issues.” said.
Stating that NATO played a central role in Turkey’s security policy after its membership in 1952, Akar said, “In the 70th year of our NATO membership, Turkey continues to fulfill all its duties and responsibilities within the alliance.” used the phrases.
Stating that Poland has contributed to Turkey with a maritime patrol aircraft since April 2021 as part of NATO’s support within the scope of “Adapted Assurance Measures”, Akar said that Turkey is also part of the “NATO Enhanced Air Policing” mission. He reminded that he commissioned four F-16 aircraft in Poland last year to contribute to Baltic regional security.
Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar said, “The biggest threat we face as NATO allies is terrorism, which does not respect borders, nationality or religion. As NATO’s ally in the southeast, it is the same with all derivatives and manifestations of terrorism, namely DAESH, Al-Qaeda, PKK/YPG and FETO. We are currently struggling. Moreover, according to UN reports, Turkey remains the country hosting the highest number of refugees in the world.” said.
Akar said that with the delivery of humanitarian aid and the re-operation of local governments, more than 1.1 million displaced refugees returned to their homes voluntarily, safely and with dignity.
– “POSITIVE ATMOSPHERE MUST GAIN ACCELERATION AGAIN”
Pointing out that Ukraine and the Russian Federation are Turkey’s two neighbors in the Black Sea, Minister of National Defense Akar said, “I would like to emphasize that we support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, including the Crimea. As we stated at the very beginning, we are against Russian military intervention.” he said.
Stating that targeting innocent civilians and civilian infrastructures is unacceptable, Akar said that after what happened, millions of innocent civilians had to leave their homes and countries. Hulusi Akar said:
“As a country with millions of refugees, Turkey is grateful for the assistance of Poland and other allies that contributed to the carrying of this burden. It is important to declare an immediate ceasefire in order to prevent further loss of life and to restore peace and balance in the region. As you know, from the beginning of the crisis. We have been in intense diplomatic work since then. Our President Erdogan is in contact with Mr. Zelensky and Mr. Putin. Me and my staff are in contact with our counterparts in these countries in the same way. We reiterate our call for return.”
Minister Akar also expressed his wish for the positive atmosphere created by the meetings held in Antalya and Istanbul to gain momentum again.
Reminding that, in coordination with the UN, a Joint Coordination Center was established in Istanbul in July for the safe transfer of grain products from Ukraine, separate agreements were signed with Ukraine and Russia, and said:
“So far, about 100 ships and nearly 2.5 million tons of grain have left Ukrainian ports. We hope that the work carried out through the center will reduce grain prices and prevent a food crisis, as experts predict. We also believe that these works can serve as an example for cooperation in other fields such as energy. Moreover, preventing a food crisis will also prevent an influx of refugees from Africa to Turkey and the rest of Europe.”
– “WE HOPE A PEACEFUL AND SAFE SOLUTION”
Reminding that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited Ukraine and held a trilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in Lviv, Akar continued as follows:
“After this three-sided meeting, President Erdoğan underlined the risk of lasting peace, the revival of diplomacy and the risk that the Zaporjia Nuclear Power Plant could turn into another Chernobyl case. The International Atomic Energy Agency is working on this issue and we hope for a peaceful and safe solution. Considering this situation, we support the preventive preparations carried out within NATO. On the other hand, we consider it critical to prevent the spread of the conflict, especially in the Black Sea, in order to avoid actions that could worsen the situation. In this context, Turkey has It has carefully, responsibly and impartially implemented the Montreux Convention, which provides the balance in the
– DOMESTIC AND NATIONAL DEFENSE INDUSTRY
Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar stated that considering Turkey’s geographical location and the difficulties it faces, the necessity of a strong and respected armed forces will emerge. Emphasizing that this is possible not only with well-trained personnel, but also by equipping these personnel with high-tech weapons, systems and equipment, Akar pointed out the importance of producing these weapons, systems and equipment with domestic and national means.
Minister Akar said, “The fact that we are faced with purchasing restrictions on various materials only increases our determination to reduce our dependence on external suppliers. In this context, domestic production of defense systems is not a choice, but a necessity. The need to meet the requirements is driven by the need.” said.
Noting that under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 80 percent of domestic and national production levels were achieved in the defense industry, Akar said:
“The products of the Turkish defense industry have proven their effectiveness and reliability in the field, in difficult terrain and harsh weather conditions, with their production quality meeting NATO standards. As a result of our national efforts, domestic rifles, frigates, armored vehicles, helicopters, howitzers, armed and unarmed UAVs” We build, manufacture and export UAVs, weapon systems and other products.Moreover, Turkey is among the top three or four countries in the world in UAV production.In addition, our first multipurpose Amphibious Ship TCG Anadolu is conducting a test voyage. First domestic production Our tank is at the contracting stage for mass production, and design work has already been done for the production of our first national warplane.”
Emphasizing that while Turkish defense companies were dealing with 66 projects in 2002, this number has reached 800 today, Akar said that three of the Turkish defense industry companies are among the top 100 companies worldwide.
Drawing attention to the great cooperation opportunity in the field of defense industry, Akar said, “We are ready for the joint research, development, construction and marketing of our defense industry products. Therefore, Turkish companies are ready to play a more active role in the Polish markets and welcome all of you to our research, development and production facilities, today.” We invite you to witness the level we have reached first hand.” said.
Before the opening ceremony started, Minister Akar chatted with Romanian Defense Minister Vasile Dincu and Hungarian Defense Minister Kristof Szalay Bobrovniczky.