Local input to Turkish defense industry at 60 pct: PM

By Andac Hongur, Guc Gonel and Halil Ibrahim Baser

ISTANBUL

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Saturday that Turkey has surpassed 60 percent local (national) contribution in defense industry.

Speaking at a logistics support ship launching ceremony in Istanbul, Binali Yildirim said the ship will make the Turkish Navy more powerful.

"We have made great progress in defense industry in the last 15 years. We have increased local contribution from 24 percent to over 60 percent. The target is bigger," Yildirim stressed.

He said 50 years ago people were discussing if Turkey could build ships or not but today Turkey can build ships of every category, capacity and ability. Yildirim added that they can even satisfy the needs of other countries.

Yildirim said that among 30 countries making up 90 percent of world merchant marine fleet, Turkey has risen to 14th place.

He said Turkey has completed 14 military ship projects in the last 15 years and provided more than 30 billion dollars to national defense industry in the same period.