Azernews.Az

By News Centre

Mehmet Demiroğlu, Director General of Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), said that Türkiye has gained a significant advantage over its European rivals in sixth-generation fighter jet technology, arguing that several major European programs have yet to move beyond the planning stage.

“Although projects such as Tempest or FCAS are being discussed in Europe, countries like France, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom have not yet been able to formally launch their programs. We are far ahead of them,” he said.

Demiroğlu made the remarks during the “A Rising Türkiye’s Aviation and Defense Technology” conference held at the Turkish Embassy in Berlin, where he outlined the achievements and future vision of Türkiye’s defense industry.

He noted that the TAI journey, which began in 1973 in a small workshop, evolved into a fully national and domestically owned structure in 2005 following the complete acquisition of foreign shares. Over the past two decades, the company has developed 13 indigenous platforms, including manned and unmanned aerial vehicles, helicopters, and space projects.

“Today, we operate with a dynamic workforce of 16,300 people on a massive 4 million square meter campus in Ankara Kahramankazan. Our average age is 34. We have offices in many parts of the world and will soon expand into Africa, starting with Nigeria,” Demiroğlu said.

He also highlighted TAI’s strategic role in the global civil aviation market, stressing that the company is among the few worldwide producing structural components for both Airbus and Boeing.

“In the field of civil aviation structures, we are one of the largest suppliers to Airbus and Boeing. For some critical components, we are the only producer in the world. Almost every Airbus aircraft flying today includes a TAI contribution,” he said.

Demiroğlu stated that Türkiye aims to become one of the leading global actors in sixth-generation fighter jet development.

While European countries continue to discuss programs such as Tempest and FCAS, he reiterated that France, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom have not yet formally launched their projects, adding: “We are much further ahead than them.”

He emphasized that the first flight of Türkiye’s National Combat Aircraft KAAN on February 21, 2024, marked a turning point for the country’s aviation ambitions.

“With that flight, the trajectory of an entire nation changed. Türkiye became one of only four countries in the world capable of developing this technology,” he said, adding that efforts are ongoing to modernize the Turkish Air Force’s F-16-based strike backbone with domestic and national systems in line with a carefully planned timeline.

Turning to space exploration, Demiroğlu described the establishment of a space center in Somalia as a highly strategic move. He warned that intensifying global competition in space would likely lead to bottlenecks in launch capacity, and said the investment would ensure Türkiye’s independence in launch capabilities.

He also noted that the brain drain experienced in the early 2020s has now reversed, stating that more employees are returning to Türkiye and TAI than leaving.

“This company is a shared enterprise of all 86 million citizens,” he said.

The TAI chief executive also invited young engineers abroad to return to Türkiye and participate in internship programs conducted with the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB).

Addressing students and young engineers, Demiroğlu stressed that aviation requires patience and determination.

“You try many times, it fails, and just when you are about to give up, you succeed. You must work and never grow tired,” he said.

He urged young people to set clear goals, take concrete steps, and be courageous.

“Do not be afraid of falling, making mistakes, changing fields, or even changing countries. Do not hesitate to come to Türkiye either,” he added.

Demiroğlu concluded by emphasizing that human capital and strong infrastructure are the fundamental requirements for success today.

“You may be extremely talented, but without infrastructure you cannot conduct tests and you remain dependent on others. At TAI, we have Europe’s second-largest subsonic wind tunnel. Train yourself so well that when a topic is discussed anywhere in the world, your name is the first that comes to mind,” he said.