One on One Türkiye's Defence Industry Agency President Ismail Demir

Türkiye’s first domestically developed jet trainer and light attack aircraft, the Hürjet, made its first flight on Tuesday. On Sunday, Türkiye’s largest and newest warship, the TCG Anadolu, passed through the Istanbul Strait en route to the Black Sea. The vessel, which is the world’s first unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) carrier, will serve as a mobile base for light aircraft and military drones. The Bayraktar TB3, Kızılelma, and Hürjet will all be operable from the TCG Anadolu.

Ankara has been building its defence industry, designing and producing high-end military hardware and marking key achievements in recent years. It has reduced its foreign dependency from 80% to 20%. Its worldwide share of the weapons trade increased from 0.6% to 1.1% between 2018 and 2022, making it the world's 12th largest arms exporter. Within 12 months, Turkey's latest TF-X fighter, known as Milli Muharip, is expected to be ready for testing.

TRT World sat down with Türkiye's Defence Industry Agency President Ismail Demir to talk about the growing Turkish air force and the challenges in air defence systems.

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