President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday hailed a milestone for Turkey as its “Steel Dome” air defence system was delivered to the military, saying regional conflicts had pushed Ankara to boost its defence capacities.
“Today we are providing our army with the (Steel) Dome system, consisting of 47 vehicles worth $460 million, which will inspire confidence in friends and fear in enemies,” Erdogan said at a ceremony a year after the project was launched.
“This system will make the world of difference for Turkey’s air defence. This is a turning point for Turkey,” he said at a ceremony at the headquarters of Turkish defence giant Aselsan to mark the delivery of the project which has been led by state-owned defence companies.
Last August, Turkey, a member of NATO, unveiled plans to build a multi-layered air defence system to protect its airspace, modelled on Israel’s renowned Iron Dome. It named it “Steel Dome”.
Turkey has been unsettled by the recent wave of unrest gripping the region, notably Israel’s increasing intervention in Syria after the overthrow of Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad and the 12-day air war between Iran and Israel in June.
“Recent conflicts around us have revealed the importance” of radar systems detecting incoming threats from the air, Erdogan said.
“Unless a country can develop its own radar and air defence system, it cannot look to its future with confidence in the face of current security challenges, especially in our region,” he added.
“We are aware of the importance of not leaving anything to chance…. With the Steel Dome, we will now be in a different class in terms of air defence.”
Also present at the ceremony, Defence Minister Yasar Guler said the system would “further increase the deterrence and effectiveness of our armed forces… and ensure our security at the highest level”.
Erdogan also inaugurated work on a giant technology base worth $1.5 billion, hailing it as “the largest defence industry investment ever made in a single instance in the history of the republic”.
“This is also going to be the largest integrated air defence facility in the whole of Europe,” he said, adding that by mid-2026, the first facility on this new campus would be operational.
“This investment is going to… make Turkey not just a regional player but a global player when it comes to defence systems.”
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© Agence France-Presse
