6/25/2025

President Erdoğan Highlights Major Investments as Türkiye Eyes Global Competitiveness

​President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reaffirmed Türkiye's commitment to large-scale infrastructure and defense investments during a press briefing following a Presidential Cabinet meeting at the Presidential Complex in Ankara.

Describing transportation and defense as two key pillars of Türkiye's economic resilience and global competitiveness, President Erdoğan cited recent holiday travel figures as evidence of the impact of modernized infrastructure.

“We have once again seen the significance of our massive investments in transport infrastructure," President Erdoğan said, noting that 3.9 million passengers traveled through Türkiye's airports over the recent holiday period. Istanbul Airport alone handled more than 1.15 million travelers, while Ankara's Esenboğa Airport served nearly 190,000. Other major hubs—including Antalya, Muğla Milas-Bodrum, Dalaman, and İzmir Adnan Menderes—also saw record-breaking passenger numbers.

As Türkiye seeks to further strengthen its role as a regional logistics hub, President Erdoğan announced progress on the ambitious Ankara–Kırıkkale–Çorum–Samsun High-Speed Rail Project. The foundation for the Delice–Çorum section was laid. Once fully completed, the rail corridor will reduce travel time between Ankara and Çorum to approximately one hour and fifteen minutes.

The entire route—expected to be operational by 2029—will connect the Black Sea to the Mediterranean by linking Samsun and Mersin ports. Designed to carry up to 12 million passengers and 14 million tons of freight annually, the line will feature five stations, eight tunnels, 26 bridges and viaducts, and 16 overpasses. The project will also help reduce freight traffic through the Bosphorus Strait.

Meanwhile, the Turkish defense sector continues to expand its global footprint. President Erdoğan revealed a major agreement signed at the Indo Defence 2025 Expo for the sale of 48 KAAN fighter jets to Indonesia, in a deal valued at approximately USD 15 billion. The KAAN, Türkiye's domestically developed fifth-generation fighter jet, is central to the country's national defense strategy.

“Today, we stand among the world's leading nations in unmanned aerial vehicles," the President said. “We have become a global brand in armored land vehicles and are now producing our own manned and unmanned aircraft, missiles, radar systems, naval platforms, and advanced communication technologies."
With ongoing investments in infrastructure and defense, President Erdoğan said Türkiye continues to attract international interest and is positioning itself as the nexus of innovation, manufacturing, and technology in both civilian and military sectors.

" src=
Türkiye; Nexus of the World