Spain‘s purchase of 30 Hürjet jet trainer aircraft – the first domestic jet fighter of its kind developed by Turkey – worth 2.6 billion euros opens up new opportunities for Ankara’s defence exports, Turkish Defence Industries President Haluk Görgün said on Tuesday.
During a press conference held at the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ/TAI) facility in Ankara, Görgün stressed that this deal is clear proof of the great strides Turkey has made in the defence and high-tech sectors over the past two decades. In that period, Görgün pointed out, Türkiye has gone on to produce advanced technology, to cover its own needs in the military industry, to share technological developments with allied countries and to steadily strengthen its presence in the global market.
“This export (to Spain) has materialised with a product designed and developed entirely by us. Together with TAI, around 200 Turkish companies have contributed to the creation of this successful project. They all took on important responsibilities and fulfilled them in the best possible way, developing a combat trainer aircraft that is in demand all over the world,” Görgün was quoted as saying by Turkish media.
The TAI president explained that technical evaluations, contacts with the Spanish and Turkish air forces, visits to factories and analysis of possible cooperation formulas led to the signing of the agreement, which was initialled the day before. “We are pleased to export a high-tech product to our ally Spain, a member of the European Union and NATO. This contract is not only limited to a training aircraft, but is a comprehensive agreement that includes ground, simulation and maintenance systems, and a cooperation model,” he said.
The deal opens the door to the joint development of new models for export
Görgün added that the agreement with Spain is very important because it reflects the will to continue broadening and deepening bilateral cooperation between the two countries in defence and advanced technology, and stressed that this type of project is also a boost for subcontractor companies. In this regard, he recalled that the Turkish defence industry currently produces 230 different products that are exported to some 185 countries.
“The initial agreement covers 30 aircraft, with an approximate value of 2.6 billion euros. The package will also include a version adapted to Spain’s specific needs,” he explained. According to Görgün, the Hürjet contract also opens the door to mutual benefits, technological collaborations, integration of different systems or payloads, the leveraging of the Spanish aeronautical sector and the possibility of jointly developing future models between Spain and Turkey and exporting them to third countries.
VOTE
EDITORIAL TEAM
🧿 About us
.
Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
…
📣 Your ADVERTISING on Hispanatolia
.
🤗 HELP US WITH A DONATION:
💗 Paypal
