"IDEF'S PROGRESS IN THE DEFENSE INDUSTRY HAS A DIFFERENT PLACE IN THE WORLD"

When asked about the Russia-Ukraine talks held for the third time in Istanbul, Erdoğan said:

The last meeting took place at Çırağan. My Foreign Minister conducted the meeting at Çırağan on my behalf, and while my Foreign Minister was conducting the talks there, the Russian and Ukrainian delegations met and held their meetings. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian delegation met with us in Ankara before proceeding to Çırağan. I received them and had meetings with them. Of course, I also met with Mr. Vladimir Putin, and we sought his support in these meetings. Going forward, we will strive to meet with Mr. Putin again, perhaps this week, and also with Mr. Trump, to see if we can bring these leaders together in Istanbul.

When asked about his observations at the 17th International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF 2025) held in Istanbul, Erdoğan stated that IDEF had truly established itself in a different position in the world.

Erdogan continued:

IDEF's progress in the defense industry ranks it in a unique position globally. We've begun receiving significant orders, and these orders continue at full strength. But first and foremost, you need to establish yourself in a very different position in the defense industry. If you can't achieve that position in the defense industry, you won't be able to successfully continue this global struggle. Thankfully, all our colleagues in the defense industry are making every sacrifice. They're putting forth all their efforts, and when we took office, we had a potential of around $20 billion, but now we have a potential of around $80 billion. Hopefully, we will become even stronger.