Erdogan Commends Teknofests Scientific and Technological Achievements
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of Turkey, said today in a speech at the closing ceremony of the Teknofest technology festival at GAP Şanlıurfa Airport, referring to the enthusiasm of young people at the festival: “The magnificent atmosphere of GAP Airport and the determination and will of the young people show that Turkey’s future, praise be to God, is in safe hands. Our country’s path, horizon, and fortune are forever open. The Century of Turkey will bear the mark and seal of the Teknofest generation on its forehead.”
Erdoğan added that this generation, by developing national products and advanced technologies, has stood against oppression and injustice and will heal the pains of the Islamic world and the oppressed, from Palestine and Lebanon to Yemen and Libya.
Referring to the striking developments in Turkey’s defense industry, the President of Turkey stated: “We were once a country that was 80 percent dependent on foreign sources in the defense field, but today, with the activity of more than 4,500 companies and more than 100,000 expert personnel, we have become the world’s 11th largest exporter of defense equipment.”
Erdoğan said: “If our friends request it, we also meet their defense needs. We believe that the stronger our friends are, the stronger we will be.”
He added that Turkey’s defense and aviation exports reached $511.4 million in August alone, and total exports in the January-August period increased by 16.2 percent to $6.3 billion; a figure that shows striking progress compared with previous years.
At the end, Erdoğan thanked all institutions, companies, participating teams, and visitors of the Teknofest festival in southeast Turkey in Şanlıurfa, and expressed hope that these scientific and technological achievements will increase day by day and bring Turkey to a higher position in the international arena.
