Category: 2021

Turkey continued its technological march with several significant projects in technology, defense and aviation in 2021 – from domestically designed cars to new communication satellites and cutting-edge defense products.

After a tough year due to the coronavirus pandemic measures, such as lockdowns and travel bans in 2020, when events were postponed or organized virtually, 2021 saw Turkey staging important events that attracted a huge amount of participation.

After successful military operations where Turkish defense products proved their quality, such as in the northern Syrian and Nagorno-Karabakh regions, Turkish products became increasingly popular.

Turkey's first medium-range missile engine broke a world record in April by reaching 1,342 newtons of thrust power with its 240-millimeter (9.5-inch) diameter.

The TEI-TJ300 engine, developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries’ engine producing subsidiary TUSAŞ Engine Industries (TEI), with the support of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBITAK), will be able to be used in air, naval and land defense systems.

The country successfully tested in May its first 1,500-hp locally made tank engine, Batu, developed by Turkish firm BMC Power. The engine can be used in various tanks.

Defense giant Aselsan in May successfully tested a micro unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), Saka, which has a 3-axis gimbal, is developed for exploration and surveillance purposes and weighs around 600 grams (1.3 pounds).

Turkey's Bayraktar Akıncı combat drone, developed by UAV magnet Baykar, broke a record in the country in July by flying at an altitude of 38,039 feet and staying in the air for 25 hours and 46 minutes.

In July, Turkey's HISAR A+ air defense missile system was delivered with all elements and the HISAR O+ system reached the stage of mass production.

As the first domestically designed air defense system, the HISAR missiles were developed to protect military bases, ports, facilities and troops against air-based threats.

The country's ongoing aviation projects also made progress in 2021.

The maiden flight of TAI’s Hürjet project, an advanced jet trainer and light attack aircraft, is scheduled for the end of 2022.

In 2023, Hürjet and helicopter gunship Atak-2 are scheduled to fly, and the country's domestically produced fighter jet TF-X will be rolled out.

The country also introduced its first locally produced microprocessor, Çakıl, in August.

Baykar unveiled its newly designed vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAV in September. The new UAV does not need a landing track as it can take off from several different locations, including naval and mobile platforms.

Turkey successfully test-fired its long-range Siper air defense missile in November. The system is expected to rival the S-400.

In February, Turkey unveiled its national space program, a roadmap based on realistic and competitive goals.

"The national space program will carry our country to an upper league in the global space race," said President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

As part of the program, Turkey aims to make its first contact with the moon in the republic's centennial year of 2023.

Turkey is planning to establish a spaceport while ensuring access to space.

It established a space agency, the Turkish Space Agency (TUA), in 2018. The agency was registered by the International Astronautical Federation in October.

Meanwhile, in August, Turkey prepared the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, defining priorities that it will be focused on during the period from 2021-2025.

The strategy includes targets to increase the share of artificial intelligence in gross domestic product (GDP) to 5%, as well as add 50,000 jobs in the sector, according to the circular.

Turkey became one of a few countries that could launch two satellites in one year.

It launched two communication satellites in 2021, Türksat 5A and Türksat 5B, using SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets that took off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida in the United States, in January and December, respectively.

Türksat 5A and Türksat 5B, which were produced by Airbus, have a 30-year and 35-year lifespan, respectively, while the Turkish domestic industry contributed to the production of the 5B.

Türksat 5B is the most powerful Turkish satellite and will increase the Ka-Band capacity by more than 15 times. It will be capable of transmitting data at more than 55 gigabits in total.

Besides Turkey, the entire Middle East, Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Mediterranean, North and East Africa, Nigeria, South Africa and neighboring countries will be covered by Türksat 5B.

With Türksat 5B, Turkey currently has eight active satellites.

The country also aims to complete the domestically produced Türksat 6A project in 2022, which will make Turkey one of 10 countries that can manufacture its own communications satellites.

The satellite is also expected to be launched by SpaceX in the first quarter of 2023.

The construction of Turkey's new high-resolution observation satellite, IMECE, is also expected to commence in 2022.

IMECE is a remote sensing satellite produced with local resources of up to 60%.

Turkey's Automobile Joint Venture Group (TOGG) announced in July that it completed the initial body assembly of the country's first indigenous car.

In November, a test drive was made in Istanbul. The car is expected to enter the mass production phase in 2022.

TOGG aims to establish the country's first car battery manufacturing plant, which will be able to manufacture 15 gigawatt hours of battery cells and modules.

Major Turkish bus producer Karsan manufactured the first locally produced driverless electric bus in February.

The Atak Electric has a range of 300 kilometers (186.4 miles) without interruption thanks to BMW 220-kWh Li-Ion batteries.

The 8.3-meter (27.2-foot) bus has a capacity of more than 50 passengers.

Otokar, another Turkish bus producer, also successfully tested the nation's first autonomous bus in January.

In the second phase of a four-phase development process, the company conducted software integration and autonomous verification tests.

Earlier this year, WhatsApp forced many users to agree to new privacy rules for sharing personal data with Facebook (now Meta) companies.

While users responded to the move, Turkey's Competition Authority opened an investigation into Facebook and WhatsApp and suspended the new data sharing rules.

The most controversial issue in the update is that the rules will not be implemented for users in the European Union.

Following the suspension, Facebook postponed the update then waived its implementation in Turkey.

During this process, users began to use other applications such as Telegram and Signal, as well as domestic solutions such as Bip and Yaay.

At the same time, as part of Turkey's social media law, which took effect in October 2020, social media platforms adhered to the rules and appointed local representatives.

According to the law, Turkey requires social media platforms that are accessed more than 1 million times daily in the country to appoint local representatives.

Social media firms must respond to requests by the government in the Turkish language and must answer requests concerning personal and privacy rights within 48 hours.

The platforms should publish semi-annual reports on their response rates to such requests.

Social networks that do not comply with court orders to remove illegal content are subject to penalties, according to the law.

The law also said social media companies must take measures to host Turkey-based users' data in the country.

While VKontakte (VK), YouTube, TikTok and Dailymotion accepted the requirements in 2020, LinkedIn, Twitter and Pinterest accepted in 2021. Twitter and Pinterest have faced sanctions, such as advertisement bans and limiting bandwidth.

Turkey organized several major technology, defense and aviation events.

One of the largest global defense events, the International Defense Industry Fair, exhibited Turkey's and the world's latest military and technology products in Istanbul in August.

The four-day event hosted 1,200 firms from Turkey and foreign countries and showcased a wide range of defense products in various fields, including land vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles, weapons, simulators, radars, sonars, naval platform solutions, aviation systems, missiles, logistic vehicles, supply equipment and security systems.

Turkey's biggest aerospace and technology festival, TEKNOFEST, kicked off in September at Istanbul's Atatürk Airport, hosting activities, such as air shows with warplanes, unmanned aerial vehicles and helicopters; seminars, summits, competitions and fairs.

The 2021 edition of the festival featured technology competitions in dozens of categories such as smart transportation, helicopter design, biotechnology, robotics, flying cars, rockets and unmanned underwater systems.

The second biannual SAHA Expo, a major Turkish defense industry event, opened its doors in November, bringing together sector professionals, officials, defense companies and technology developers.

In 2021, Turkey attracted significant technology investments from around the world, while local companies took new steps.

Chinese technology giant Xiaomi opened a production facility in Istanbul in March. Turkey is the fourth country where the brand has production plants.

OPPO, another Chinese mobile phone giant, opened a factory in Istanbul in March while Chinese company TECNO started manufacturing in Turkey with an investment of $35 million and generated 1,000 jobs.

China's TCL, by uniting forces with Turkish major appliances producer Arçelik, began manufacturing mobile phones in Turkey with an annual capacity of 450,000 units, which is projected to reach 1 million in 2022.

China's Vivo rented a facility in the industrial province of Kocaeli for manufacturing mobile phones.

Turkey's Mechanical and Chemical Industry Company (MKEK) opened the Barutsan Rocket and Explosive Factory in the capital of Ankara to reduce the country's dependence on imported aerial bombs, ammunition, missiles and warheads.

Some countries decided to implement sanctions against the Turkish defense industry, especially in aviation.

Canada canceled export permits to Turkey for arms sales on allegations that its technology was being used in Turkish support for Azerbaijan's effort to liberate the Nagorno Karabakh region from Armenian occupation, which was liberated in November 2020.

In 2021, the U.S. began to implement sanctions on the Turkish defense industry and officials related to the implementation of the Russian S-400 air defense system.

U.S. officials claimed the S-400 would be incompatible with NATO systems and would expose next-generation F-35 fighter jets to possible Russian subterfuge.

As a NATO member, Turkey's move triggered discussions and the U.S. decided to implement Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) against the country.

According to CAATSA sanctions, which took effect in April, Turkey's Defense Industries Presidency cannot obtain an export license from the U.S. and nor could they benefit from credit packages from the U.S. and related financial institutions.

During the first 11 months of the year, Turkey's defense exports increased nearly 40% to $2.9 billion, while the high technology and technology sector accounted for around 35% of Turkey's exports in the manufacturing sector.

TAI signed the country's first satellite export agreement with Argentina-based technology firm INVAP and their joint company GSATC.

As part of the agreement, the ARSAT-SG1 satellite will meet Argentina's state-owned GSM operator Arsat's requirements and is planned to be produced and delivered by 2024.

Azerbaijan’s liberation of Nagorno-Karabakh from Armenian occupation has opened a new page in history, Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalın said Sunday.

Kalın was speaking at a meeting hosted by Turkey’s ambassador to the United States, Hasan Murat Mercan, and Chicago Consul General Engin Türesin.

In response to a question on the Armenian lobby’s activities in the U.S. against Turkey, Kalın said the developments underway in the Caucasus will soon dismantle the Armenian diaspora's arguments.

“In other words, the Turkey-Armenia or Turkish-Armenian conflict, is coming to an end in the Caucasus. With the liberation of Karabakh, with its independence and joining Azerbaijani lands, a new page in history has opened there,” he said.

Kalın also highlighted the steps Turkey and Armenia have taken to normalize relations, noting that the process will make a great contribution to Armenia both politically and economically.

Relations between the former Soviet republics of Azerbaijan and Armenia have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

When new clashes erupted on Sept. 27, 2020, the Armenian army launched attacks on civilians and Azerbaijani forces, and violated several humanitarian cease-fire agreements.

During the 44-day conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and nearly 300 settlements and villages from the nearly three-decade occupation.

Turkey was a key backer of Azerbaijan during last year's 44-day Karabakh conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

On Nov. 10 last year, the two countries signed a Russian-brokered agreement to end the fighting and work toward a comprehensive resolution.

On Jan. 11, the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a pact to develop economic ties and infrastructure to benefit the entire region. It included the establishment of a trilateral working group on Nagorno-Karabakh.

The cease-fire is seen as a victory for Azerbaijan and a defeat for Armenia, whose armed forces withdrew in line with the agreement.

Kalın also met with Turkish citizens living in the U.S. at the Turkish Consulate General in Chicago while he was in the city to attend the annual MAS-ICNA convention, one of the largest Islamic conferences in North America.

Relations between Turkey and the U.S. are critical enough to develop a strategic partnership perspective, Kalın said, adding: “But we have seen that approaches that ignore Turkey’s threat perception and the threats we face are also implemented by the American administrations.”

On the fight against terrorism, Kalın stated that Turkey expects the U.S. administrations to confront the issue at the appropriate level, scope and depth.

Kalın went on to say that the U.S.’ continued support of the PKK terrorist organization's Syrian offshoot, the YPG, its sanctions against Turkey over its purchase of Russia’s S-400 air defense systems, Turkey's removal from the F-35 program and its approach toward the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) are the main disagreements between the two countries.

However, he said that in addition to these controversial issues, there are also areas in which Turkey and the U.S. continue to work and agree.

ANKARA

Moscow will host the first meeting between Turkish and Armenian special envoys to discuss steps to normalize ties between the two countries, Turkey's foreign minister said on Monday.

Speaking at a year-end Turkish foreign policy roundup, Mevlut Cavusoglu said the special envoys of each country should first speak over the phone and decide on the time and place of a face-to-face meeting.

"Our impression is that the first meeting will take place in Moscow, as Armenia desires. Aside from the first meeting, we also want communication to be held directly … We mutually appointed special envoys to speak directly," Cavusoglu said.

He said a roadmap towards normalizing ties needs to be set, adding that this would be on the first meeting's agenda.

Noting that charter flights between Turkey and Armenia would soon begin, he reiterated that Turkey is pursuing its normalization discussions in consultation and coordination with Azerbaijan.

Armenia's rhetoric has so far been positive, said Turkey’s top diplomat, adding that Turkey wants action as well.

On the push by Turkey and Armenia to normalize relations back in 2009, Cavusoglu said that though this previous attempt was done in "good faith," the new process was separate.

"Within the framework of this process, new steps must be taken to normalize relations. This will be important for the stability, peace, and prosperity of the Caucasus," he said.

On Dec. 15, Turkey appointed Serdar Kilic, a former ambassador to the US, as its special envoy to discuss steps for normalization with Armenia. Three days later, Armenia also appointed its special representative for dialogue with Turkey, National Assembly Deputy Speaker Ruben Rubinyan.

2016 migrant deal with EU

Asked about EU visa liberalization for Turkish citizens – a measure contained in the 2016 Turkey-EU migrant deal – Cavusoglu said Turkey has fulfilled about 67-68 criteria out of 72 needed for liberalization.

Telling how there are differences over criteria related to the political parties law and counter-terrorism measures, he said the primary issue on the visa liberalization issue is the EU failing to hold high-level dialogue meetings with Turkey in recent years.

"Fulfilling these criteria isn’t an issue for us,” he said. The overdue update to the 1995 Customs Union between the bloc and Turkey, he added, “they are saying it is beneficial for both parties. But they haven’t started negotiations yet, saying one or two countries are blocking it."

"The EU continues to stall with aims to not keep its word on this matter, as it does on other issues," Cavusoglu said.

Turkey has long complained that while it upheld its end of the 2016 deal, the EU failed to keep its promises under the agreement.

A busy year

On his diplomatic efforts during the year, Cavusoglu said he held over 320 phone and video conferences in 2021.

He also said he paid 74 visits abroad and hosted 79 foreign ministers in Turkey.

"I would like to proudly say that we have successfully hosted four major international events," he added.

Noting that Turkey is now an important figure in Africa, Cavusoglu said: "The third Turkey-Africa summit held in Turkey (this month) was an important event that attracted everyone's attention. At the summit, we agreed on a five-year action plan and a follow-up mechanism for implementation of this action plan."

He also announced that Turkey’s annual Antalya Diplomacy Forum will be held on March 11-13 with the theme of "Recoding Diplomacy."

"We will continue our active, dynamic, and result-oriented diplomatic activities in every region in 2022," he added.

Asked about terrorist YPG/PKK activity in Syria, Cavusoglu again stressed that it is a separatist terror group and that it has the same aim for Iraq and Syria as it did in Turkey.

He said the terrorist group is not hiding its separatist agenda in Syria, adding: "Unfortunately, it gets support from some countries, especially the US. Therefore, aside from our current relations with the (Assad) regime, the fight against terrorist groups is in our common interest."

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US, and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The YPG is the PKK’s Syrian offshoot.

Turkey has long protested US support for the terrorist YPG/PKK in Syria, saying this support flies in the faces of its relationship with its ally Turkey.