Turkey continues to accelerate the race for strategic armament and yesterday (Tuesday) presented what appears to be the new peak of its domestic defense industry: the country's first intercontinental ballistic missile.
The missile was unveiled at the opening of the prestigious Istanbul Defense and Aerospace Exhibition, in the presence of military delegations from around the world, and provided a glimpse of capabilities that until now had been reserved for only superpowers.
According to the Turkish Ministry of Defense, it is a high-performance hypersonic missile with a range of up to 6,000 kilometers, a cruise speed of Mach 9, a peak speed of Mach 25 and four liquid-fuel rocket propulsion engines.
Under Erdoğan's leadership, Turkey is not content with producing unmanned aerial vehicles that have become known worldwide but is aiming to create a new balance of deterrence. The development of the missile comes alongside Ankara's extensive diplomatic efforts to forge a security alliance with Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, and its attempts to gain direct influence in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian arena.