President Erdoğan celebrated the New Year of the Mehmetçik.

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Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler, accompanied by the TSK Command Staff, visited the 14th Unmanned Aerial Systems Base Command in Batman. During the visit, he spoke on the phone with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. President Erdoğan addressed the soldiers stationed at the base.

"WE OBSERVED HOW GREAT DEDICATION OUR SOLDIERS SHOW IN THEIR DUTIES"

Speaking on the phone with President Erdoğan, Minister Güler said, "Dear Mr. President, we respectfully greet you from our 14th Unmanned Aerial Systems Base Command in Batman, together with our Chief of General Staff, our Force Commanders, and our heroic soldiers. On the occasion of the New Year, we first visited our 5th Border Brigade Command stationed in Iğdır, where we observed with great satisfaction how our soldiers perform their duties with great dedication to ensure the security of our borders.

Now, we are with our heroic aviators at our unit in Batman, equipped with our locally produced and national defense industry pride, UAVs and armed UAVs. Under your esteemed leadership and encouragement, we have implemented and are implementing valuable and critical projects that are the pride of our noble nation. In 2025, we will continue to work with the same determination and resolve to enhance the capabilities and capacities of our glorious army," he stated.

"WE ARE PROUD OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF OUR BRAVE CHILDREN TO ESTABLISHING PEACE AND SECURITY IN THE WORLD"

After his speech, Minister Yaşar Güler handed the floor to President Erdoğan. Addressing the heroic soldiers on the phone, our President Erdoğan celebrated the New Year of the personnel on duty and said:

"Valuable members of our Turkish Armed Forces, dear soldiers who are the apple of our nation's eye, I greet you all with my heartfelt feelings. I send my love to all members of our heroic army and their valuable families. Today, we leave behind the year 2024 and enter the year 2025 with new hopes. I wish that the new Gregorian year will bring good fortune for our security forces who serve at the cost of their lives, both at home and abroad. I wish success to all the heroes who fight fearlessly for the survival of our state and the future of our nation. We are proud of the contributions of the brave children of our Prophet's hearth to establishing peace and security in our region and the world."

"OUR ARMY IS A SOURCE OF PRIDE FOR OUR NATION"

Emphasizing that the Turkish army, which instills confidence in friends and fear in enemies with its capabilities on land, at sea, and in the air, is a source of pride for the nation, President Erdoğan stated, "'A Strong Army, A Strong Turkey' is our motto, and we place great importance on increasing the deterrence of our Turkish Armed Forces in every field. Our initiatives in the defense industry, which have raised the domestic production rate from 20% to 80%, continue unabated. The unmanned aerial systems have a critical role in our goal of making Turkey a significant actor on a global scale. The journey we started with TB-2 and ANKA is now continuously advancing with Akıncı, Aksungur, TB-3, ANKA-3, and Kızılelma. We are one of the 3-4 most advanced countries in the world in UAV and armed UAV technology. Last year, we became the country with the highest UAV/armed UAV exports in the world," he said.

OUR UAVS AND ARMED UAVS PROTECT THE SKIES OF MORE THAN 50 FRIENDLY COUNTRIES

President Erdoğan reminded that UAVs and armed UAVs protect not only the skies of Turkey but also those of more than 50 friendly countries, stating, "Our 14th Unmanned Aerial Systems Base Command in Batman is a symbol of the importance we place on unmanned systems in homeland defense. Every development in our region reminds us how accurate our investments in this field are. Inshallah, we will reach much better positions. I pray that God opens our path and fortune. I wish you a happy new Gregorian year and blessed three months. I remember our martyrs with mercy and our veterans with gratitude. I greet each of you with affection. Stay safe," he concluded.