ISTANBUL, June 18. /TASS/. Turkey will enhance its military defenses to a level that will make other countries think twice about attacking it, the republic’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, stated.
"We will increase our deterrent capabilities to a level where nobody will dare attack us," Erdogan said, speaking to a meeting of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party faction in parliament.
Turkey has its own air defense infrastructure that enables it to repel any attacks independently, the Turkish president emphasized. "Today, Turkey protects its airspace with domestically developed air defense systems and has built an integrated, multi-layered defense architecture," he noted.
Erdogan clarified that Turkey is peace-oriented and wants stability in the region. "We only want cooperation, stability, and security across the Middle East, but nobody should try to test us or our patience," he warned.
Earlier, local media reported that Turkey aims to build its own air defense system by 2028. It will be based on the Steel Dome network of weapons of all types, including laser weapons and electronic warfare. The four-layer network will include a short-range anti-aircraft system, capabilities to intercept short-to medium-range and long-range missiles, and laser defenses.