Starting his speech by greeting the Pakistani delegation and representatives of the defense sector, Erdoğan highlighted a critical day for Istanbul's defense industry, stating, "I am pleased to be here with you on the occasion of the service entry, flag-raising, and first steel-cutting ceremony of our naval platforms. I welcome our guests from Pakistan to their second home, Türkiye."
President Erdoğan shared an update on the progress of the construction of four MILGEM vessels signed with Pakistan in 2018, noting;
"As you know, we signed a construction contract for four MILGEM vessels in September 2018 to meet the needs of the Pakistan Navy. We delivered the first ship PNS Babur on May 24, 2024. Today, we are also delivering PNS Hayber, which has successfully completed all tests and trials. The project's third and fourth ships are being constructed at the Karachi Shipyard. The delivery of the third ship PNS Bedir is planned for the end of June 2026, and the fourth ship PNS Tariq in the first quarter of 2027. I wish these latest technology-equipped ships all the best for the brotherly Pakistan navy. The friendship between Türkiye and Pakistan, rooted deep in our shared history and tested over centuries, will continue, flourish, and strengthen until the end of time, God willing."
From research and development to design, from software to mass production, we manage all processes with our national resources. Currently, we are the 11th largest country in the world in defense exports. In the last 11 months, our defense and aviation exports increased by 30% compared to the same period last year, reaching $7.445 billion. Just the exports in November rose by 22% compared to last November, amounting to $742 million. As of this morning, we have surpassed $8.6 billion. We believed in ourselves, trusted the Turkish defense industry, and quickly reached these figures.
