Türkiye delivered its first domestically manufactured Altay tanks to the Turkish Armed Forces. On Tuesday in Ankara, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced the delivery of the tanks during his speech at the inauguration ceremony of the BMC's Ankara facility, established for the production of new-generation tanks and armoured vehicles. The Altay is Türkiye's latest main battle tank and is mass-produced by BMC, a Turkish automobile manufacturer, at its factory in Ankara.
Erdoğan stated that the tanks underwent a 35,000-kilometre test drive and 3,700 test fires prior to being delivered to the army. The Altay tank is equipped with advanced systems and is designed to withstand the most challenging combat conditions. President Erdoğan added that eight Altay tanks and ten Altuğ armoured vehicles will be manufactured each month. He referred to the Altuğ vehicles as "the fortresses of the battlefield."
Erdoğan underscored Türkiye's advancement in the defence industry, saying, "We continue to compose a new epic with our modern aerial, ground, and naval vehicles. We have become a country that leads rather than follows." President Erdoğan emphasised the importance of strengthening one's defence capacity in today's turbulent global affairs.
"What we saw in Bosnia in the 1990s, later in Syria, and now in Gaza showed us that being right is not enough; it is also necessary to be strong to be able to defend your rights," Erdoğan said, emphasising Türkiye's commitment to the field of defence.