Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan highlighted on Wednesday the importance of increasing military deterrence for Türkiye to build itself into a powerful country.
He made the remarks at a ceremony to celebrate Aug. 30 Victory Day at the Army War College in Ankara.
“We know very well from our bitter experiences that there cannot be a strong Türkiye without a strong army,” Erdogan said, stressing that ensuring military deterrence is a necessity for Türkiye rather than a choice.
The president said Türkiye has been elevated to the “top league” in terms of military capabilities, noting that the country has taken “many historical steps” to strengthen the military.
In a separate statement, he vowed to further strengthen the country’s national power with forthcoming government-proposed initiatives.
Türkiye celebrates Victory Day to mark the decisive victory of the country’s independence war on Aug. 30, 1922, which led to the foundation of the Republic of Türkiye a year later.
