The 1st International Military Radar and Border Security Summit supported by the Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB) and organized by MÜSİAD Ankara, was held from October 2nd & 3rd, 2018 at the Hilton Garden Inn Ankara with the participation of the Minister of Internal Affairs Süleyman SOYLU, President of the Defence Industries Prof. İsmail DEMIR, MÜSİAD Ankara President İlhan ERDALl and MÜSİAD Ankara Defence Industry and Aerospace Industry Council President Fatih ALTUNBAŞ and the distinguished representatives of the defence industry and MÜSİAD Ankara members.

İlhan ERDAL: “Defence Industry Expecting Grants and Support”

Stating that a country’s neglect of border security measures in our globalized world eventually becomes a factor that increases the load carried by other countries, MÜSİAD Ankara President İlhan ERDAL underlined that border security is essential for the security of citizens. ERDAL expressed that the Turkish defence industry has reached a production power exceeding US$ 6 billion in the last 16 years by growing 5-fold. He noted that he believes that the industry will achieve even better levels through decreasing bureaucratic legislation regarding grants, support and ease of implementation.

Emphasizing that the first International Military Radar and Border Security Summit in Ankara was held in order to support the development of national and domestic industry, ERDAL continued: “We believe that we will move the domestic and national defence industry to a better level with the support granted by our Minister. We manufactured our unique Main Battle Tank, Modern Infantry Rifle, Surveillance UAV and Armed UAVs and we will carry them further. As businessmen, we are aware that there is no way of conducting business in places enduring terrorism, without peace. A peaceful and stable society will also positively affect the business environment. If we manage to produce products with high technology and high added value, we may easily reach our export target of US$ 500 billion set for 2023”.

Fatih ALTUNBAŞ: “The Defence Industry is Able to Achieve US$ 60 Billion Revenue by Growing 10- Fold in the Medium Term” 

MÜSİAD Ankara Defence Industry and Aerospace Industry Council President Fatih ALTUNBAŞ stated that they gathered Turkey’s greatest defence industry manufacturers, sub-contractors of the industry, academicians, governmental representatives and civil society associations at the 1st International Military Radar and Border Security Summit. Underlining that the summit will be a platform where critical agreements are signed, Altunbaş noted that, through this summit, their target is to further increase the export potential of the defence industry so that it reaches a revenue of US$ 6 billion.  Noting that the industry has a 10- fold growth potential, Altunbaş added that they are able to reach a national and domestic defence industry of US$ 60 billion in the medium term.

Opening the summit, Minister of Internal Affairs Süleyman SOYLU shared the following words with the participants: “Such meetings, focusing specifically on high technology and production where we see efforts exerted with a sense of nationality in order to contribute toward our country, fills us with pride, hope and honor. What we need is not just monetary gain to purchase the things that we need, the things that will strengthen us further.  On the contrary, it is the capability of producing our own requirements that is of essence. I observe this determination and this capability in this hall and I am proud of this. Our esteemed President also expresses his wish at every opportunity and grants great support in both moral and material terms to all efforts to this end. With the help of their support, we achieved very critical developments and substantial projects in the defence industry. The upward trend of the 21st century is unfortunately terrorism. The number of irregular immigrants in Turkey that we seized in 2017 was 175 thousand. There is a total of 600 thousand irregular immigrants in Europe. The number of this year’s irregular immigrants exceeded 190 thousand as of 26 – 27 September 2018. There is an increase of 78 percent when compared with August of last year”.

Noting that President Recep Tayyip ERDOĞAN accompanied him during his visit to Germany, SOYLU said: “I expressed something at our negotiations with Germany’s Minister of Internal Affairs. We have Syria at our Southern border, and Iraq and Iran remain at our Eastern border. I said, when thinking of Turkey, do not regard us as Norway or Finland or as your country. The number of irregular immigrants we received from the beginning of the year 2018 Turkey was registered as 71 thousand Afghans, 40 thousand Pakistanis, 60 thousand Syrian immigrants and 14 thousand Iraqi immigrants. Turkey struggles to show the world how humanity works, how it maintains public order, safety and security in such a challenging geography and the magnitude of the favors it accomplishes for Europe through its activities”.

Süleyman SOYLU underlined that they struggle with terrorist organizations and added: “The Border Security issue remains under the responsibility of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. We develop highly critical projects in terms of physical conditions and information flow in this area. We conduct the procurement of modular concrete walls utilizing high technology, safe ways in parallel with these walls, lighting systems, radars, observation towers with high security. We execute these partially through our own resources. And we conduct the rest of them including the training and equipment support parts especially in integrated border management through EU projects. We strive to realize particularly the physical security systems dimension through our own resources. The 828 km modular concrete wall is planned to be built at our Syrian border, and presently with our National Defence Ministry, our governorships and TOKİ Presidency with our Ministry, 805 kilometers of this wall has been completed. Similarly, the installation of the 91 kilometer long modular concrete wall has been completed at our Iranian border in Iğdır and Ağrı. The whole project is 144 kilometers and we aim to accomplish it by the end of the year”.