LOC19:47
16:47 GMT
ISTANBUL, Dec 20 (KUNA) -- Turkiye has launched a project to build a 300-meter-long aircraft carrier, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared on Saturday.
"We have launched the construction processes of our 300-meter-long aircraft carrier, which will be the elder brother of TCG Anadolu," he said, speaking at the Commissioning of Naval Platforms Ceremony, according to the official news agency, Anadolu.
Erdogan said further projects will be commissioned to enhance deterrence on land, at sea, in the air, and in cyberspace, noting that all stages from research and development to mass production are carried out with domestic and national resources.
"In the last elevn months, our defense and aviation exports increased by 30 percent compared to the same period last year, reaching USD 7.445 billion," Erdogan revealed.
He said the investments were not aimed at preparing for war, saying: "All these investments we have implemented are not to prepare for war, but to protect peace, independence, and our future."
He has added that Turkiye is currently the worldآ’s 11th largest defense exporter, adding that the country aims to rank among the worldآ’s top 10 in defense and aviation exports by 2028, with an export target of USD 11 billion. (end)
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