While the issue of defense industry cooperation has an important place in reaching the 100 billion dollar trade volume target between Türkiye and the USA, the messages given in this field began to become concrete after the Erdogan-Trump summit. The official objection period in the US Congress regarding the sale of F-110 engines, which Türkiye plans to use until the domestic engine projects for the 5th generation fighter jet KAAN are finalized, has expired. The objection period, which is normally 30 days in the USA, was applied as 15 days because Türkiye is a NATO ally. On June 26, the US State Department made an official notification to Congress regarding the issue. As of yesterday, the Congressional legal review process regarding F-110 engine exports was completed. With the completion of the review period, the sales process will continue without any congressional obstacle, without the issue being discussed in the House of Representatives or the Senate General Assembly. President Donald Trump’s signature is also required to complete the sale. It is pointed out that there is no problem in the supply of F-110 engines, as Trump has pointed out that there will be no problems in this regard in Ankara. Although some members of Congress expressed their objections on the grounds of S-400 throughout the process, a joint rejection decision that would stop the sale could not be passed.

FIDAN: WE WILL REACH THE RESULT
Meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan in Ankara, US Senate NATO Observation Group Co-Chair and Foreign Relations Committee Senior Member Jeanne Shaheen also gave positive messages about Türkiye’s return to the F-35 project. Regarding the CAATSA and F-35 negotiations with the USA, Minister Fidan said, “From the very beginning, we do not want any sanctions between the allies. CAATSA is one of them. The issue regarding the F-35 is also one of them. Now, as long as this will is here in both leaders, we, as ministries, are taking appropriate steps to solve these issues. Hopefully, we will reach a result soon, I think there will be no problem with this.”

NATO’s effective, deterrent and “peace”-oriented foreign policy approach has affected the fate of the world. The 36th NATO heads of state and government summit, which is considered the most critical summit in NATO history, asked “Okay or continue?” It was the place where the answer to the question was sought. US President Donald Trump, who attended the summit due to his close friendship with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the fact that the summit was held in Türkiye, announced last April that he was seriously considering withdrawing the US from NATO, criticizing the allies’ lack of support for regional conflicts such as Iran. After the Ankara summit, Trump stated that NATO had made great progress in sharing the financial burden, and painted an optimistic picture about resolving regional crises and new trade agreements after the summit. Finally, since the NATO Summit was held in Ankara, the spirit of solidarity of the allies was clearly manifested. President Erdoğan also stated that the foundations of a stronger NATO were laid in Ankara, in which the European allies within the Alliance will assume more responsibilities and military capacities will be strengthened through a fair burden sharing.

ANSWER IS IN THE NOTIFICATION
The statements in the summit declaration, “An attack against one ally is an attack against all allies. Our unity, solidarity and collective power continue to be the basis of peace, security and prosperity for the 1 billion citizens in our Alliance of free and democratic nations. We remain committed to our 360-degree approach to deterrence and defense” proved that the allies responded “Continue” to the question “Okay or continue?” in Ankara.

SIGN TO ANKARA
The announcement of the new supply agreement in Ankara, worth more than 50 billion dollars, was a critical step towards the future of the Alliance. The alliance’s commitment to work together to increase its collective production capacity and efforts to eliminate defense trade barriers between allies were added to the declaration under the influence of Ankara. Turkey was also the location pointed out in the statement “We will benefit from NATO partnerships to maximize the depth and cooperation in the defense industry.”

EU’S INITIATIVES SHOULD BE COMPLEMENTARY
While EUROPEAN countries are making intense efforts to keep their bilateral relations with the Turkish defense industry at a high level, some countries have made reservations for their inclusion in initiatives such as SAFE created by the European Union (EU), with attempts to prevent it. This situation caused discomfort in many member countries of the union. Ankara, weighing in on being the host of the summit, underlined that the European Union’s initiatives in the field of defense should be complementary to NATO and should not lead to unnecessary duplication. In his statement after the summit, Erdoğan pointed out the need to follow a rational policy by saying, “When non-EU allies such as Turkey are not fully included in the Union’s defense initiatives, the effects of these initiatives will be very limited.”

Retired Zülfi Türk, who became a veteran after being injured in the coup attempt of the terrorist organization FETO on July 15, 2016, spoke to SABAH. Stating that the coup attempt took place while he was working at the Meat and Fish Institution in Ankara, Zülfi Türk said, “We heard gunshots on the evening of July 15. We did not understand what was happening at first. My house was close to the General Staff building. After a short time, when the gunshots increased, I realized that this was a dangerous situation. I watched the call made by our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on television. Then I said to my wife, ‘I’m leaving, the homeland is being lost.’ My wife also wanted to come, I said, ‘Don’t come, I’m not here.’ “I said, ‘I’m going,’ I had to go and become a martyr, so I performed my ablution, asked for forgiveness from my wife, and left home,” he said.

“THE TRAITORS DRIVEN THE TANKS AGAINST US”
Zülfi Türk, who said that he went to the General Staff Headquarters with the thought, ‘I was the son of a hero who was a veteran for the country, it would not suit me to sit at home,’ said: “A group of people dressed in military uniforms was around the General Staff. We started to march towards them as a crowd. The traitors were coming at us, crushing the tanks and vehicles entrusted to them by the state. We did not retreat, they threw us with the barrel of the tank. My left foot shin bone was broken when it hit the iron bars. I was injured, but “We were trying to repel and neutralize those traitors without realizing it. We took the tanks from them. Then I realized that I was injured, they took me to the hospital. I was treated and received the title of veteran of July 15.”

“THIS COUNTRY WAS NOT ESTABLISHED EASILY”
Stating that his father also participated in the Russian war, veteran Zülfi Türk said, “My father, Zülfikar Türk, fought against the Russians in the Trabzon Maçka Front. He lost his arm during the war and received the title of veteran. This homeland was not established that easily. We cannot give these lands, where the blood of martyrs and veterans were shed, to FETO members or anyone else. If there is a July 15, we are ready to stand against it without blinking an eye with the same feeling.”

Adnan Çilingir (64), the father of three children, who was seriously injured when he was shot in the arm while removing the magazines from the rifles of the coup soldiers who opened fire on the people in Taksim Square during the coup attempt of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) on July 15, underwent many surgeries and his arm, which was about to be severed, was stitched back together. Veteran Adnan Çilingir, who stated that he never forgot what happened that night, said, “During the coup attempt, I was working as a hotel manager in Istanbul, I was at work at that time. I went to Taksim Square when I saw the soldiers trying to take the square under control. I was shocked when I saw the coup plotter soldiers turning their rifles on the police in the square. I immediately went towards the soldier and tried to explain that what they did was wrong. The coup plotter soldiers started shooting in the air and the ground. He persuaded some of the military forces that came to the square to meet with the coup plotter soldiers there. “After a while, two people, one of whom was a captain, started opening fire on the people,” he said.

“MY ARM IS LEFT IN MY HAND”
Stating that approximately 15 people around him were shot and fell, but the wounded could not be taken due to the ongoing fire, Çilingir said, “I thought for a moment, ‘What can I do? I was a gendarmerie in the military. I said, ‘I can take the magazines of their rifles, I can stop the fire. Suddenly, I dived between the 2 coup plotter soldiers and took the magazines of both of them. The third person was starting to shoot towards the people. I freed his magazine from the latch. I looked and saw that I had no arm, I could not see my arm, “My arm was severed. I took it in my hand, but only a piece of skin was holding it. The person whose magazine I took shot me from behind with the only bullet left in the mouth of the rifle.” he said. Locksmith, who managed to take 3 magazines from the rifles of the soldiers who opened fire on the people, said, “I could carry it for 15-20 meters because my arm could not hold it, then I threw it away. After me, citizens did not allow the soldiers to re-insert magazines into their rifles.” he said.

“IF I HAD NOT TAKEN THOSE MAGAZINES, THEY COULD HAVE KILLED AT LEAST 150 PEOPLE”
Stating that he could not express his pride in words, Çilingir said, “There were a thousand people in Taksim Square. If I had not taken those magazines, at least 150 people could have died. Each bullet fired would have injured or killed a few people.” he said.

RECEIVED STATE PRIDE MEDAL FROM THE PRESIDENT
Locksmith said, “I thank you very much for receiving the medal of pride given to us by our esteemed President. We are always behind him. We are always the soldiers of this country.” he said.

“I AM READY TO SACRIFICE MY ARM AND MY WHOLE BODY”
Çilingir emphasized that he was ready to defend his country in the same way today; “I cannot stand FETO or other countries occupying my country. I am a Turkish nationalist. It doesn’t matter whether I am against FETO or anyone else. I will fight with my life against all of them. If it were today, I would do the same thing without hesitation. I would stand against anyone who takes down my flag,” he said.

“WE CAN LIVE WITH DISABLED ARMS, BUT WE CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT COUNTRIES”
Locksmith living in his hometown Samsun; “I have throat cancer now, I am trying to live with a crippled arm, but I will fight for the homeland until my last breath. When it comes to the homeland, the rest is details. For us, the homeland comes first. We live with a crippled arm, but we cannot live without a homeland.” he said.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan received Lebanese Prime Minister Nevvaf Selam and Liberian President Joseph Nyumah Boakai separately at Vahdettin Mansion. Welcoming the leaders with an official ceremony, Erdoğan showed Lebanese Prime Minister Selam some historical buildings of Istanbul from the window of the mansion. Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan also attended Selam’s reception. In his meeting with President Erdoğan Selam, he stated that Türkiye attaches importance to relations with the sister country Lebanon, and that he believes that it would be beneficial to increase diplomatic contacts within this framework.

Stating that Türkiye’s diplomatic initiatives continue to ensure the security of Lebanon and that they will continue to provide all kinds of support to Lebanon, Erdoğan emphasized that it would be beneficial for the region if Lebanon and Syria develop good neighborly relations. President Erdoğan stated that they are making maximum efforts to develop bilateral relations between Türkiye and Lebanon.

COOPERATION WITH LIBERIA
During the meeting between President Erdoğan and Nyumah Boakai, regional developments as well as relations between Türkiye and Liberia were evaluated. During the meeting, attention was drawn to the importance of steps to be taken to increase the trade volume between the two countries in line with the current potential, and it was stated that it would be beneficial to continue studies in this direction. Erdoğan stated that they will continue to work to further strengthen the cooperation between Türkiye and Liberia in the fields of defense industry, security, education and transportation. Erdoğan congratulated Boakai on his election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.

EMINE ERDOĞAN MEETS WITH THE WIFE OF THE LEBANON PRIME MINISTER
Emine Erdoğan, wife of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, met with Sahar Selam, wife of Lebanese Prime Minister Nevvaf Selam. In her post on her NSosyal account, First Lady Erdoğan said, “I was pleased to host Mrs. Sahar Selam, the esteemed wife of the Prime Minister of Lebanon, in Istanbul. I would like to thank them for their kind visit and wish the friendship between our countries to last forever.” The photo taken by Emine Erdoğan and Sahar Selam together was also included in the post.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended the Graduation Ceremony of the 16th Term Joint Command and Staff Training and the 8th Term Command and Staff Training of the Force Warfare Institutes held at the Yenilevent Campus of the National Defense University. Erdoğan briefly said the following in his speech here:

PRIDE DAY OF OUR 301 OFFICERS: Today, we are participating in the pride day of our 301 officers, 125 of whom are guest military personnel from friendly and brotherly countries, and sharing their joy of graduation. I would like to congratulate the winners and all our officers who completed the 16th Term Joint Command and Staff Training and the 8th Term Force War Institutes Command and Staff Training. Our officers, who have just received their diplomas, will hopefully serve our Turkish Armed Forces, our state and our nation with a high sense of duty at different levels with the title of staff. I would like to express my appreciation and congratulations to our commanders and instructors who meticulously train our officers both in the theoretical framework and on practical grounds and equip our young staff with their knowledge and experience.

SUPPORT TO MSU WILL CONTINUE: On July 31, that is, 20 days later, we will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the establishment of our National Defense University. In a short period of 10 years, our National Defense University has become one of our most distinguished educational institutions that shines on a global scale. He is devoted to his homeland, nation and state; This quarry, where well-equipped, conscientious, self-confident and responsible officers and petty officers are trained, is the source of pride of our nation. As the government, we have supported our university since the day it was founded. From now on, we will do whatever is necessary to make our National Defense University even stronger.

THE RULES OF WARS HAVE CHANGED: We are living in a period where sharp changes have become commonplace rather than exceptions. Artificial intelligence and new technologies; It profoundly affects everything from education to health, from finance to transportation, from public services to all areas of life. We observe the manifestations of this transformation much more clearly in defense and security. Wars are no longer fought only on the fronts; It is carried out together with cyber attacks and disinformation campaigns. Critical infrastructures, energy transmission lines and trade routes are targeted with kamikaze drones. We are faced with a new equation in which unmanned air and sea vehicles directly affect the outcome and artificial intelligence-centered software changes the course of the operation. This new environment, where discovery and real-time news are indispensable force multipliers, has made management as well as planning more critical than ever.

82 PERCENT DOMESTIC RATE: I would like to express this with great pride today: Our officers trained at our National Defense University demonstrate a unique performance in terms of both planning and dispatch and management. In one of the notes he kept, Gazi Mustafa Kemal said, “Commanding consists of searching for a solution. The history of war teaches this.” In this period, we are taking firm steps towards becoming one of the pole heads of the new system. We reached 82 percent localization rate in the defense industry. We test the products we develop directly in the field and constantly innovate and update them in the light of feedback. Our engineers, software developers, technicians and nearly 4 thousand companies operating in the sector add new successes every day. With this addition, we are equipping our security units with our local and national equipment and state-of-the-art equipment.

WE TAKE CARE OF THE LEGACY OF MY ANCESTORS:
As the Turkish nation, we have a deep-rooted and rich military experience that cannot be compared to any other nation in the world. Our Land Forces celebrated its 2,235th anniversary two weeks ago. We are a nation that established the Harbiye Military Museum, the oldest military museum in the world, in 1453. As we closed one era and opened another with the conquest of Istanbul, we wrote a new epic with the shahi cannons that Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror had cast, the ships we sailed from land, and in the light of our military genius. We again used the Mehter band as an orchestra that guided the troops on the battlefield. We brought many innovations to the battlefield and art that we cannot list here. While doing all this, hearts were conquered along with the land. We crowned our power with goodness and justice, our intelligence with virtue and mercy. My dear friends, today we continue in the same line and preserve the legacy of our ancestors in the best way possible. We heal the bleeding wounds in our heartland and play leading roles in keeping dialogue channels open. We are pushing every door to make peace and tranquility permanent from the Balkans to the Caucasus, from the Middle East to Africa. Likewise, we have a very strong presence in the international alliances to which we belong.

Türkiye’S SECURITY RED LINE: We successfully hosted the NATO Leaders Summit in Ankara two days ago. I hope that the Ankara Summit will contribute to the establishment of peace and stability in our region and the world. No matter which organization we are a member of, we have to be strong to live with our foreheads high and our heads held high in the difficult geography we find ourselves in. We cannot entrust Türkiye’s security to anyone. We can never compromise on our national security. Therefore, we have to completely strengthen our national security and do this within the framework of law, legitimacy and democracy. For this reason, as I say at every opportunity, we will keep our inner castle strong. As we move towards our Türkiye Century goals, we will never forget that we, as 86 million, are brothers and destined. With the success of our Terror-Free Türkiye process, which we have carried out especially to save our country from a problem that is nearly half a century old, we will hopefully begin to write a new story at home and abroad. I pray that God will be our friend and helper.

30 PERCENT INCREASE IN DEFENSE EXPORTS

We are raising the bar in exports every day. We broke a new record by exporting more than 11 billion dollars of defense and aerospace products in the last 12 months. Our exports for the January-June period reached 4 billion 665 million dollars, an increase of nearly 30 percent compared to the same period last year. Last month alone, we exported products worth 803 million dollars. Of course, this is also important: Our officers and soldiers, who can read risks and threats accurately, use these systems and technologies effectively, and put data from different platforms into practice, turn this momentum we have achieved in the defense industry into national gains in the field. Our National Defense University, which is the production center of the staff’s mind, makes these gains sustainable with the children of the country it educates.

OUR OFFICERS AND NCO OFFICERS WILL USE DRONES LIKE THEY USE RIFLES
MSU Rector Prof. Dr. Erhan Afyoncu, in his speech at the ceremony, stated that they trained officers who can quickly take initiative according to the course of the war. Afyoncu said, “This is the era of robot wars. We have changed our military education system according to the new war concept. We will do our best to graduate our officers and petty officers from our schools to be able to use drones as if they were using rifles.” Prof. thanked Selçuk Bayraktar and Haluk Bayraktar for their support to the university. Afyoncu reminded that the UAV laboratory in Balıkesir was established with the support of Bayraktars. Prof. Afyoncu noted that except for a few countries, no one has such a laboratory.

HE PRESENTED THEIR DIPLOMAS TO THE WINNERS
President Erdoğan presented the diplomas to the officers who completed their schools at the top of their class. At the ceremony, Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler and MSÜ Rector Prof. Dr. Erhan Afyoncu made speeches.

MEMORIAL MESSAGE FOR MÜTEFEKKİR NURETTİN TOPÇU
President Erdoğan commemorated the writer Nurettin Topçu on the 51st anniversary of his death. In his message published on his NSosyal account, Erdoğan said, “I commemorate the great thinker, sociologist, writer and teacher Nurettin Topçu with mercy on the 51st anniversary of his death.”