Turkey Ranks 11th Globally in Defense Exports, Erdoğan Affirms No Territorial Ambitions

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan declared that Turkey holds the 11th position globally in exporting defense industry products. He emphasized that Turkey does not seek anyone's land and will not permit violations of its rights.

Speaking at a ceremony in Istanbul for the delivery of two ships—one to the Romanian navy and another to the Turkish navy—Erdoğan highlighted that Turkey has reached unprecedented levels in its defense sector. He added, "Last month, we achieved a historic success by exporting defense and aerospace products valued at 996 million dollars."

The Turkish president pointed out that Turkey ranks 11th worldwide in defense product exports. He further stated, "We are among the countries capable of constructing a large number of warships simultaneously. We are building more than 50 warships for export to friendly and allied countries."

Erdoğan clarified that Turkey's objective is not to create tension in the region but to promote peace, justice, calm, and stability. He said, "We do not seek to provoke crises, chaos, combat operations, or conflicts with anyone. We have never had, nor do we have, any intention to violate the land, sovereignty, or legitimate rights and interests of anyone. However, we will not allow anyone to infringe upon our sovereignty, threaten our country, or harm our interests."

He also noted that the world is undergoing one of the deepest transformations since the Cold War, with the emergence of a new security model. Erdoğan stated, "Every crisis we face reminds us of the vital importance of national security. Turkey is among the countries that recognized early the spirit of this new era and understood it precisely. We live in a period of chaos, and those who are not strong on the ground find no place at the negotiation table, or they themselves become an item on the agenda at the table."