Technology and trade message with the USA from Minister Kacır

Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır stated that cooperation in strategic areas, as well as trade, is important in the relations between Turkey and the USA, and stated that they will take cooperation in critical technologies to higher levels in the coming period, and make the Turkey-US partnership much stronger in areas such as data centers and artificial intelligence.

Minister Kacır, who accompanied President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in New York to attend the 81st General Assembly of the United Nations (UN), spoke at the 4th Turkish-American Business World Meeting organized by the Anatolian Lions Businessmen Association (ASKON).

Emphasizing that Türkiye achieved a rare success story during the AK Party governments under Erdoğan's leadership, Kacır said that one of the most important dimensions of this was the gains achieved in the economic and commercial fields.

Kacır stated that Türkiye's annual exports, which were at the level of 36 billion dollars, have now exceeded 280 billion dollars, and that exports of products with medium and high technology levels have increased from 10 billion dollars to 116 billion dollars.

"WE WILL BE ONE OF THE TOP 10 DEFENSE INDUSTRY EXPORTER COUNTRIES"

Providing information about Türkiye's technology and R&D capacity, Kacır said that more than 13 thousand technology startups operate in 115 technoparks across the country, there are more than 1700 R&D and design centers and more than 310 thousand R&D employees work.

Kacır also stated that Türkiye has become a country that develops and produces critical technologies with its own means and can offer them competitively to the world markets.

Touching on the developments in the defense industry, Kacır stated that Türkiye is the 11th largest defense industry exporter in the world and said, "Hopefully, it is almost there. We will be one of the top 10 defense industry exporting countries next year." he said.

Kacır said that Türkiye meets more than 80 percent of its defense industry needs with systems developed and produced locally, that the country is the world leader in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and that it can produce more than 50 warships at the same time. Minister Kacır stated that Türkiye is a country that develops its own technologies in land vehicles, naval platforms, underwater vehicles, space and satellite systems, cyber and quantum systems and can meet its own needs.

"WE NEED TO WORK MUCH MORE FOR THE 100 BILLION DOLLAR TARGET"

Referring to the economic relations between Turkey and the USA, Kacır said, "The trade volume between Turkey and America has doubled in the last 10 years. But we need to work much harder for the 100 billion dollar target we set together." he said.

Kacır stated that strategic areas, as well as trade, are important in Turkey-US relations, and underlined that the recent dialogue between President Erdoğan and US President Donald Trump has opened the door to new collaborations, especially in strategic areas.

Stating that business people will make the most of this opportunity, Kacır said, "In the coming period, we will take our cooperation in critical technologies to higher levels and make the Turkey-US partnership much stronger in areas such as data centers and artificial intelligence." he said.

Kacır pointed out that they met with many business people within the scope of their visit to the USA, and stated that they explained the opportunities offered by Türkiye in the fields of investment, technology and R&D to the American business world, invited them to invest and cooperate in Türkiye, and that the interest in Türkiye is increasing every year.

"Türkiye CONTINUES ON ITS ROAD STRONG AS THE ISLAND OF PEACE AND STABILITY"

Drawing attention to the crises and conflicts in different parts of the world, he stated that Türkiye continues its path strongly as an island of "peace and stability".

Kacır concluded his words by emphasizing that Türkiye's unity and solidarity had a great share in this.