Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan once again reiterated his fanciful plans of a so-called “Turkish Century” in a speech during the ceremony of the inauguration of the submarine “Piri Reis” in the country’s Navy in Mugla, a city in southwestern Turkey on the Aegean Coast.
Referring to the irredentist policy of the “Blue Homeland” – a strategy which effectively disputes Greek sovereignty over a large sea area including islands in the eastern Aegean, Erdogan said the country must have a strong navy both in “our Blue Homeland and in far-away geographical areas”.
“We will take steady steps towards our goals for the Century of Turkey without retreating, without giving up, without tiring, regardless of the ill-wishers who call the ‘Blue Homeland’ a ‘fairy tale’,” Erdoğan continued during the induction ceremony of the submarine Piri Reis into the Turkish navy.
The Turkish President warned Turkey’s adversaries saying they were closely monitoring its steps in fear.
He emphasized, “Since 2002, we have been striving to strengthen the Turkish armed forces in every area under the motto ‘strong Turkey, strong military.’ Our adversaries are watching the steps we take here today with fear.”
“No one should doubt that we will continue to do whatever is necessary for strong Turkish armed forces on land, in the air, at sea, and everywhere,” Turkish President Erdogan said.
“Our efforts to enhance our shipbuilding infrastructure will continue. In the future, we will have a shipyard in Mersin. Our rights and interests in overseas areas of influence will be protected by our aircraft on our national aircraft carrier. With the air defense destroyer TF-2000, the construction of which will begin at the Istanbul shipyard, we will gradually secure our country’s air defense from the sea,” Erdogan concluded.
