"As Turkey, we see developing the technologies we need with our own means as an integral part of our security and prosperity, as well as our struggle for full independence," said Yılmaz, adding that there has been a revolution in the defense industry in the last quarter century under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Yılmaz stated that with this revolution, Türkiye gained its own design and production capability by overcoming the embargoes and restrictions imposed, and said, "We have now started to sell and export products to all over the world for money, which we could not buy from others by paying in the past. Last year alone, we had exports exceeding 10 billion dollars. We have become the world's 11th largest defense and aerospace exporter country. Hopefully, we will raise our country among the top 10 countries in the near future. "Our national, domestic supply rate, which was around 20 percent in the past, has reached a level exceeding 80 percent today," he said.
Stating that there is a strong political will and solid leadership behind this great revolution and this great success, Yılmaz said, "The name of this is Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Far from all political considerations, as a citizen, we would like to express our gratitude to our President for this revolution that he has led to realize. "We say may God bless you," he said.
Yılmaz stated that they have come to the point where they can carry this revolution in the defense industry to other areas, and that they will spread the technological competencies obtained here to many civilian sectors, from health to energy, and increase the total added value of the economy to much higher levels, and said, "Do you know who will do this, you will do it, our young people will do it. I believe that many Selçuk Bayraktars will emerge among you. We will see these not only in the defense industry, but also in agriculture, health and many civilian areas. The Century of Türkiye will be the century of our national technology move. "I hope the Century of Türkiye will be the century of TEKNOFEST youth," he said.
"THIS IS THE Türkiye WE WANT TO SEE"
Explaining that more than 1 million 600 thousand competitors participated in TEKNOFEST this year, which started with approximately 20 thousand competitors in 2018, Yılmaz said, "Applications from 81 provinces show how wide our claim to produce technology is based on human resources. In this respect, TEKNOFEST has now gone beyond a normal festival and turned into a movement. It has turned into a very important movement, a giant movement. "In the 15th festival held in Şanlıurfa, 427 teams and more than 2 thousand competitors took part in the finals of 14 competitions," he said.
Yılmaz explained that the experience areas and exhibitions at the festival brought people together with people about Şanlıurfa's production journey from its civilization accumulation to today's advanced technologies, and said, "Innovative practices in the fields of agriculture, animal husbandry and food, as well as our national air, land and sea vehicles, demonstrated the technological level we have reached in different fields. "It is an important part of our goal to raise the scientists and engineers of the future for our children to discover their interests and competencies at an early age and to have opportunities to develop them."
Stating that this excitement in Şanlıurfa shows how the youth of the Southeast evaluate the opportunities offered to them, he continued his words as follows:
"We see bringing the young population of the region together with education, science and production as one of the most important investments that will accelerate the development of our country. We pursue our goal of a terrorism-free Türkiye with the responsibility we bear towards the future of our youth. We want to direct all our energy to development and prosperity by permanently removing terrorism, which has been killing our people, targeting our brotherhood, and wasting our resources for years, from our country's agenda. Our Turkish, Kurdish and Arab youth are no longer talking about terrorism, they are talking about how to develop technology together. They talk about new products and innovative initiatives. This is the Türkiye we want to see."
Emphasizing that they are determined to increase the opportunities for young people and the agriculture, industry, tourism and technology potential of the Southeast by strengthening unity and solidarity in this process under the leadership of President Erdoğan, Yılmaz said:
"Development does not happen only with metropolises. Ankara, Istanbul, Izmir are of course important. But we believe in this: Total development. We will carry our country into the Turkey Century together by utilizing the potential of each of our 81 provinces at the highest and maximum level. The Turkey Century will be the century of brotherhood. The Turkey Century will be the century of technology. I hope the Türkiye Century will be the century of TEKNOFEST youth."
At the end of his speech, Vice President Yılmaz congratulated the young people who participated in the competitions and thanked the teachers, academics, non-governmental organizations, families of the young people and organization teams who guided the young people.
