President Erdogan Calls Turkey Will Improve Domestic Ballistic Missile Reach To 1,000 Kilometers

Turkish ballistic missile system Tayfun made by Roketsan. (Twitter/@Defence_IDE)

JAKARTA - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey is moving forward to further strengthen its defense industry, as well as going through difficult times, referring to the global crisis.

During a visit to southwest Mu principal Erdogan province, it recalled that Turkey's defense industry dependence on foreign affairs fell from 80 percent to 20 percent.

"The national issue is above politics and must remain so. If we have achieved profits in the Mediterranean, the Aegean Sea, and the Black Sea, we must protect it together, without exception," President Erdogan said.

President Erdogan specifically emphasized the ongoing domestic missile test, which he said "scared off" Greece.

"The testing is being carried out from Izmir and the missiles that may have been launched from there began to scare them. I said, 'the Greeks, we have no business with you as long as you behave well,' he said.

Turkey has complained of repeated provocative and rhetoric by Greece in the region in recent months, including arming islands near the demilitarized Turkish coast based on treaty obligations. It said such measures thwarted its good faith efforts towards peace.

President Erdogan is said to have referred to a short-range ballistic missile called Tayfun (Typhoon), which reached the target at a distance of 561 kilometers (348.59 miles), after being successfully tested in October over the Black Sea.

The test is said to have shown Tayfun has twice the range of Turkey's first domestic missile system, Bora.

"Currently our missile range is 565 kilometers. That's not enough, we'll increase it to 1,000 kilometers," President Erdogan said.

Emphasizing Turkey's ability to produce its own combat and unmanned drones, President Erdogan underlined Bayraktar's important aerial combat vehicle K fewz pathelma, which is said to be capable of "carrying F-16 payloads" after mass production.

"What do the Greeks say now? They said, 'What did the Crazy Turks do?'" he said.

It is known that the unmanned fighter jet powered by the K fewz pathelma jet completed its inaugural flight in mid-December.

In addition, Turkey is also close to completing the construction of its carrier, which will also function as a drone aircraft carrier. The aircraft carrier is expected to be delivered soon and will serve as a base for Kryptz pathlema and other drones used by the Turkish military.

President Erdogan stressed that Turkey's defense industry is growing stronger and terrorist groups are "hit".