Turkey sees “no obstacle” to building aircraft carrier

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has said he sees no obstacles for the Turkish defence industry to build an aircraft carrier domestically.

“There isn’t any obstacle to producing our own aircraft carrier. It is possible with this determined government and state,” Erdogan told local newspapers. “Turkey cannot fall into laziness in the defence and military issues.”

Erdogan said the country would be ready to begin building the carrier following the completion of the amphibious assault ship, ‘TCG Anadolu’, which is expected in 2021.

The president added that Turkey’s defence industry has become increasingly independent of foreign suppliers, RT reported.

Turkey operates a naval fleet in the Black Sea. Russia has said that a build-up of military forces in the area would provoke a “response” from the Kremlin.