President Erdoğan, speaking at the Steel Dome delivery ceremony, facility inaugurations, and the groundbreaking ceremony in Oğulbey, stated: “Today, we meet 80 per cent of the needs of our heroic army with domestic systems. In doing so, we preserve vital resources that must remain within our country. By also offering our systems to our friends and allies, we enhance our diplomatic influence.”
The President emphasised that the “Steel Dome” system will take Türkiye to a new level in air defence. In this context, he announced the delivery of “Sky Dome” systems, consisting of a total of 47 vehicles worth $460 million, to the Turkish Armed Forces. Erdoğan declared, “These systems will instil confidence in our friends and strike fear into our enemies.”
Underscoring that recent regional conflicts have once again revealed the importance of air defence and radar systems, Erdoğan added: “No country that fails to develop its own radar, air defence system, and electronic warfare capability can look to the future with confidence.”
Historic Investment from ASELSAN
As part of the ceremony, the foundation was also laid for the Oğulbey Technology Base, which was established in celebration of ASELSAN’s 50th anniversary. This 1.5-billion-dollar investment stands out as one of the largest ever undertaken in Türkiye’s defence industry. The Oğulbey Base will also be Europe’s largest integrated air defence facility.
Defence and Aviation Exports Breaking Records
In his speech, President Erdoğan also highlighted defence industry exports:
In 2024, the sector’s exports exceeded 7 billion dollars.
In July 2025, exports reached 989.6 million dollars, representing an 8.9 per cent increase compared to the previous year.
Total exports for the January–July period totalled 4.59 billion dollars.
The President concluded: “I believe that with this momentum, we shall soon reach the level of 20 billion dollars.”