Erdoğan’s Emphasis on Kızılelma Achievements in the Defense Industry
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, speaking at the Justice and Development Party’s group meeting, highlighted the country’s remarkable progress in the defense industry, stating: The unmanned fighter jet Kızılelma, by achieving beyond-visual-range targeting capability, has become a milestone in strengthening Turkey’s defensive position and strategic superiority.
Emphasizing the importance of the year 2026 for Turkey, Erdoğan added that the country will host several major international events, including the COP-31 Summit, the NATO Leaders’ Summit, and the Summit of the Organization of Turkic States.
The President also underlined the government’s determination to enhance public welfare, noting: Turkey’s path and objectives are clear; the main goal is the continuous improvement of prosperity for all 86 million citizens of the country.
In another part of his speech, Erdoğan referred to the economic situation, stating that Turkey’s economy maintained its stability in the third quarter of this year with an annual growth rate of 3.7 percent, ranking fourth among OECD member countries.
He stressed that the national economy, which had sustained uninterrupted growth for 21 consecutive quarters, continued this trend in the third quarter of 2025 as well.
The unmanned fighter jet Bayraktar Kızılelma, with its first successful beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile launch, opened a new chapter in aviation history as the world’s first unmanned combat aircraft capable of air-to-air warfare. This historic test was carried out off the coast of Sinop using the MURAD AESA radar and the GÖKDOĞAN missile developed by TÜBİTAK-SAGE, with the Turkish Ministry of National Defense releasing footage of the achievement.
