STORY: Erdogan lauds Türkiye's progress in defense industry
DATELINE: July 29, 2023
LENGTH: 00:01:38
LOCATION: ISTANBUL, Türkiye
CATEGORY: POLITICS
 
SHOTLIST:
1. various of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 16th International Defense Industry Fair
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Turkish): RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, Turkish President
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Turkish): RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, Turkish President
4. various of Türkiye's 16th International Defense Industry Fair, modern military equipment on display to visitors at the exhibition
 
STORYLINE:
 
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday hailed the progress made in the country's defense sector, saying its cutting-edge defense technologies would make a difference.
 
Erdogan made the remarks at the closing ceremony of the 16th International Defense Industry Fair held in Istanbul.
 
He said Türkiye constantly strengthened its capacity in the armed unmanned sea, air, and land vehicles, noting that its defense export reached 2.4 billion U.S. dollars in the first half of 2023 and aims to reach 6 billion dollars by the end of the year.
 
The Turkish leader said his government had developed a "Türkiye Model" in defense cooperation.
 
SOUNDBITE 1 (Turkish): RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, Turkish President
"The aim is not only to sell products to interlocutors but to establish medium- and long-term partnerships."
 
SOUNDBITE 2 (Turkish): RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, Turkish President
"We want to strengthen our cooperation based on common interests and a win-win understanding."
 
The international defense industry fair started to be held every two years since 1993 and grew to be one of the prestigious defense industry events worldwide.
 
This year's event, which is hosted by the Turkish Defense Ministry, showcases a wide range of new defense technologies and products.
 
Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Istanbul, Türkiye.
(XHTV)