Turkey has undoubtedly developed into a powerhouse in the field of defense industry, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday, during the opening ceremony of BMC’s new generation tank production facilities in Ankara’s Kahramankazan province, during which the first three Turkish-made Altay tanks were delivered to the country’s Armed Forces.

As the Turkish president pointed out, this is the result of two decades of systematic investment, perseverance and strategic work, adding that the country will continue to strengthen its military deterrent power and contribute to world peace.

“We continue to make history with our state-of-the-art vehicles, in the air, on land and at sea. We are no longer a state that follows others; we are a state that follows them,” Erdogan said.

The Turkish president, along with Defense Minister Yasar Guler, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Head of the Directorate of Defense Industry (SSM) Haluk Gürgun, as well as top military and civilian officials, attended the inauguration of the new BMC facility.

Qatar’s Defense Minister Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan bin Ali Al-Thani also attended the ceremony.

The new state-of-the-art facility, Hurriyet reports, is now considered a hub for the production of Turkey’s most advanced armored vehicles and tanks. It will also form the key production line for both the indigenous Altay tanks and the new Altuğ armored vehicles, which are expected to be delivered at a rate of eight per month to the Turkish Armed Forces.

“Today we are proud and excited about the progress of our defense industry,” Erdogan said, thanking everyone who contributed to the development of domestic Altay tanks.

Referring to global developments, the Turkish president said the geopolitical order is changing radically, citing escalating conflicts such as the one in Gaza, where more than 70,000 civilians have been killed, to underline that the new era requires a strong, deterrent military force and a resilient, independent economy.

“Turkey was one of the few countries that realized in time the dangers and threats from the change in the world order and took their measures. Thanks to the steps we have taken in the last 23 years in defense, diplomacy and security, Turkey has become a country that cannot be ignored,” Erdogan noted.

The Turkish president also emphasized that the country has created a fully developed defense industry ecosystem, which “the rest of the world watches with envy”, underlining that Turkey is currently in the top three countries in the world in the production of unmanned aircraft and combat drones.

“With the Altay tanks we are opening a new era in tank technology,” he added.

“Miracle of Engineering”

Defense Minister Yasar Guler, in turn, stressed the importance of Turkey having a strong military, especially at a time of widening conflicts in the region and worsening international instability.

“We are determined to continue until we fully modernize our army and equip it with the most advanced means of combat,” he stressed.

“Thanks to the Altay tanks, our combat power will increase significantly,” the Turkish defense minister added.

For his part, the head of Turkey’s Defense Industry Directorate, Haluk Gyurgun, called the Altay tanks “a marvel of engineering” and a symbol of the technological progress of the country’s national defense industry.