The Weekly Press Information Meeting of the Ministry of National Defense was held at MSÜ Istanbul Rectorate Campus by Rear Admiral Zeki Aktürk, Ministry of National Defense Press and Public Relations Advisor and Ministry Spokesperson. The following statements were used in the press release: Within our university; While the qualified officers needed by our Turkish Armed Forces are being trained through the Army, Naval and Air Force Academy and War Institutes, scientific studies are carried out in the field of defense and security through research institutes, knowledge production and doctrinal development are contributed, the language proficiency of the personnel is improved through the School of Foreign Languages, and non-commissioned officers with technical knowledge and skills and high duty awareness are trained through the NCO vocational schools; This comprehensive and holistic structure ensures the continuity of qualified human resources that increase the effectiveness of our Turkish Armed Forces.

WE INVITE ALL YOUTH

Our National Defense University, a value that inspires the future by nourishing the roots of our past; It strengthens the strength of our Turkish Armed Forces by training the leading personnel of our land, naval and air forces who will effectively use the advanced technology systems of our local and national defense industry, and invites all young people who want to join this honorable march.

84 THOUSAND CANDIDATES APPLIED IN THREE WEEKS

Approximately 84 thousand candidates completed their preferences within the scope of the 2026 National Defense University Military Academy and Petty Officer Vocational Schools Military Student Candidate Selection Procedures, which started on March 25, in a three-week period. The intense interest shown to our National Defense University is one of the most concrete indicators of the trust our nation has in our Turkish Armed Forces. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our candidates and their precious families and remind them that the selection process will be completed on April 24.

On the other hand, applications for Contracted IT Personnel Supply to the Ministry of National Defense for 2026 will start tomorrow (April 17) and end on May 4. Within the scope of Regional Career Fairs; It is planned to participate in the Aegean Career Fair in Aydın on 15-16 April, and the Eastern Black Sea Career Fair in Trabzon on 21-22 April. The classification results of the reserve officer/petty officer candidates and privates who will be recruited in the April, June and July 2026 periods will be available from the e-Government portal, military branches and the Ministry of National Defense Mobile application as of tomorrow (April 17).

TRAINING-DRILL ACTIVITIES

Our Turkish Armed Forces; It continues to improve its operational capability through national and international training and exercise activities, and to increase its effectiveness and deterrence by taking its modern warfare capabilities to an advanced level. Blue Homeland-2026, which was held in the Black Sea, Aegean Sea and Eastern Mediterranean between 3-9 April, and Turkey-Pakistan Joint Commando and Special Force (Cinnah-13) exercises, which were held in Isparta and Ankara between 29 March and 9 April, were successfully completed. The Turkey-Azerbaijan Haydar Aliyev Active Firing Joint Battalion Task Force Exercise, which started on April 2, will continue in Kars until April 22, and the International Anatolian Phoenix Exercise in Konya, where 4 countries participated in the actual shooting and 14 countries participated as observers, will be completed tomorrow (April 17).

Our esteemed Chief of General Staff, together with his force commanders, participated in the Actual Firing Phase of the Blue Homeland Exercise on April 9, and the Distinguished Observer Day of the International Anatolian Phoenix Exercise on April 14. The Distinguished Observer Day activities of the Computer Aided Command Post Phase of the EFES-2026 Combined Joint Operation Exercise, which was carried out between 11-17 April under the coordination of the Aegean Army Command, were held in Istanbul yesterday (April 15) and are being carried out in Izmir today. The actual phase of the EFES Exercise will be held in Izmir between 20 April and 21 May. Dynamic Minotaur/Kurtaran Submarine Search and Rescue Exercise is hosted by our country and is being held in the Eastern Mediterranean between 15-21 April with the participation of 20 countries. The Distinguished Observer Day of the exercise will be held on April 20 at TCG Alemdar.

ÇAĞRI BEY DRILLING SHIP IN SOMALIA

In addition, we are participating in the Flintlock Exercise held in Libya and Ivory Coast between 13 April and 1 May, and it is planned to participate in the Locked Shields Exercise, which will be held with on-site participation between 20-24 April. Regarding the visits of foreign military ships to our ports; Port visits are made to Antalya by the French Naval Forces element Provence between 13-17 April, to Mersin by the Bangladesh Naval Forces Sangram between 14 April and 5 May within the scope of the United Nations Interim Task Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mission, and to Izmir by the Albanian Naval Forces element Oriku between 16-19 April within the scope of the NATO Standing Naval Task Group-2 (SNMG-2) mission.

TCG Gaziantep, TCG Bayraktar, TCG Bartın and TCG Lieutenant Güngör Durmuş and Çağrı Bey Drilling Ship and accompanying support ships arrived in Mogadishu/Somalia on 9-10 April. Our TCG Gaziantep frigate and TCG Lt. Güngör Durmuş fuel oil ship continue their escort and protection mission to the Çağrı Bey Drilling Ship off the coast of Somalia. Within the scope of the Vienna Document, representatives of the member countries of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe visited our 1st Main Jet Base Command located in Eskişehir and our Artillery and Missile School Command in Ankara/Polatlı between 6-10 April. Our Air Forces Command is participating in the Space Symposium held in the USA between 13-16 April and the Air Defense Conference held in the Czech Republic between 14-17 April. We congratulate once again our students from the Military Academy and Petty Officer Vocational Schools who participated and won the Serik Triathlon Turkish Cup competition held in Antalya between 10-12 April on behalf of the Turkish Armed Forces, and our athletes who became the first in the 57 kilo elite women category and the Turkish Champion in the Mae Muay category in the Muaythai Turkey Championship held in Mersin between 7-12 April.

THE NUMBER OF TERRORISTS WHO SURRENDERED WAS 75

Our Turkish Armed Forces; to fight against terrorism, to protect our borders; It continues to ensure the defense and security of our country on land, at sea and in the air with determination and determination. In this context, last week; 8 more PKK terrorists have surrendered, thus, the number of terrorists who have surrendered since January 1st has reached 75. Land search and scanning within our borders and beyond; Work on detecting and destroying caves, shelters, shelters, mines and improvised explosives continued. In addition, together with the 4 kilometers of tunnels destroyed in Manbij, the length of the tunnels destroyed in the Syrian Operation Areas was 772 (Tel Rifat: 302 / Manbij 470) kilometers.

BORDER SECURITY

In the last week at our borders, where security has been established at the highest level on a 24/7 basis; 270 people, 17 of whom were members of a terrorist organization, were caught. The number of people caught trying to cross our borders illegally since January 1st was 2 thousand 92, and with 2 thousand 625 people blocked, the number of people blocked this year reached 22 thousand 617. Also during the week; A total of 167 kilograms of drugs were seized during the search and screening activities carried out along the Hakkari, Van and Iğdır border lines.

TURKISH F-16s FLYED IN SOMALIA

Our Turkish Armed Forces, which serve effectively in a wide geography within the scope of bilateral relations and international missions; It continues to make strong and sustainable contributions to regional and global peace, security and stability. Within the scope of the “Framework Agreement on Defense and Economic Cooperation”, F-16 warplanes and ATAK and Cougar helicopters that we deployed to Somalia made a greeting flight at the ceremony held in Mogadishu on April 12, on the occasion of the anniversary of the establishment of the Somali National Army. On this occasion, we once again celebrate the 66th anniversary of the National Army of our friendly and brotherly country, Somalia.

ISRAEL IS HARMING THE STABILITY OF THE REGION

Within the scope of developments in the Middle East; We will continue to provide our best support in order to transform the ongoing temporary ceasefire into a permanent ceasefire before it becomes more complex and difficult to manage, and ultimately to achieve permanent peace. We hope that this war, whose global as well as regional effects are felt more and more every day, will be ended as soon as possible and that the parties will be constructive in the ongoing negotiation process. On the other hand, Israel’s attacks, which are a part of its regional expansionism, continue. The attacks in Lebanon harm not only the territorial integrity of Lebanon, but also the stability and peace of the region, and disrupt the ongoing negotiation process. While we welcome the launch of negotiations between Israel and Lebanon in Washington, we state that Israel’s attacks, which are incompatible with the spirit of negotiation, are the biggest obstacle to achieving positive results.

MINISTER GÜLER’S VISITS

Our Minister, who attended the “Evaluation Meeting” held at our Land Forces Command together with the Command Level on April 11, visited the Ankara Chamber of Commerce and met with the President and Board Members on April 13, and on the same day (April 13), he went to Qatar within the scope of his official visit, made inspections and inspections at the Qatari-Turkish Combined Joint Force Command, and met with our Turkish soldiers for dinner. Our Minister, who continues his Qatar program on April 14; Evkaf and Sharia met with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense and was accepted by the Emir of Qatar. Our Minister, who received our athletes who were successful in the International Military Sports Council (CISM) competitions and İlke Özyüksel Mihrioğlu, who was selected as the female athlete of 2025 by the council, on April 15, will attend the “Productivity and Technology Fair” held in Ankara today (April 16), and the Antalya Diplomacy Forum between April 17-19. Our esteemed Chief of General Staff is visiting Germany as the official guest of the German Chief of General Staff between 15-17 April. Our Naval Commander, Admiral Kadir Yıldız, is attending the “11th NATO Naval Operations Commanders Conference” organized by NATO Allied Maritime Command in the United Kingdom between 15-17 April.

NEW WEAPON SYSTEMS IN THE INVENTORY

Within the scope of efforts to further increase the advanced technology equipment and deterrent power of our Turkish Armed Forces, which continues to modernize its defense capabilities with the opportunities offered by our local and national defense industry; In various amounts by our Land Forces Command; The Fırtına-2 howitzer and the Akıncı Attack Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (TİHA) were taken into the inventory after the inspection and acceptance activities were completed. Again, various amounts of ACAR 300-G Land and UAV Surveillance Radar were delivered to our Land Forces by ASELSAN. ASFAT and our Machinery and Chemical Industry joint stock companies affiliated with our Ministry are participating in the “Productivity and Technology Fair” held in Ankara between 16-19 April. Our Machinery and Chemical Industry Joint Stock Company, which has implemented a total investment program of 1.5 billion dollars covering the period 2023-2027, with its comprehensive investment program; 155 mm howitzer ammunition, 76 mm Denizhan National Naval Gun, artillery and 2.75 inch rocket; It will significantly increase the production capacity of 60, 81 and 120 mm mortar ammunition, tank and howitzer weapon systems, sniper cartridges and light caliber weapons. The Hüseyin Kahya Energetic Materials Factory in Kırıkkale, which is planned to start production in 2026, will produce many strategic explosives, especially nitrocellulose, gunpowder and rocket fuels, and the production of energetic materials such as Concentrated Nitric Acid and Solid TNT will be realized for the first time. will be passed, thus Türkiye’s foreign dependency on explosive raw materials will be completely ended. As a result, our Turkish Armed Forces; It will continue to be effective, deterrent and ready in every field, from border security to the fight against terrorism, to the protection of our rights and interests in the Blue and Sky Homeland, and to fulfill its entrusted duties and responsibilities with perseverance, determination and success.