By Faten Omar
KUWAIT: The Turkish Embassy in Kuwait marked on Wednesday the 101st anniversary of Victory Day in the presence of senior diplomats, military attaches, envoys, Turkish citizens and other dignitaries. Director of the National Military Service Directorate Brig Gen Muhammad Al-Jassar praised Kuwaiti-Turkish relations, especially in the defense sector, saying both countries have many commonalities, where they seek peace and embrace security for cooperation, which is required in the world.
He added that defense cooperation between the two nations continues to be formed in the set of protocols, noting that one of the fruits of this cooperation are the Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones, which have proven their effectiveness in operations. Turkish Ambassador to Kuwait Tuba Nur Sonmez said: "August 30 is undoubtedly one of our history’s most critical milestones, when invading forces suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of the Turkish nation in the Battle of Dumlupinar in 1922.
We owe this resounding victory to the spirit, faith, and will of our nation that fought for independence fiercely under difficult conditions against all odds under the wise leadership of Ghazi Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of the Turkish Republic.” Sonmez pointed out the Turkish army has come a long way through reforms, planning, intense training, investment in technology and institutional modernization. "Today we have one of the finest and strongest militaries in the world. Our army’s combat readiness is second to none, as we have been fighting actively against multiple terrorist organizations, namely, PKK, Daesh and FETO, simultaneously,” she said.
"Under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey has written a success story in the area of defense. We developed a great amount of self-sufficiency, with Turkish-made military equipment now making up more than 75 percent of our inventory. In 2022, Turkey’s arms export hit a record $4.4 billion, which was almost $100 million in the 2000s,” Sonmez said. Regarding bilateral relations between Turkey and Kuwait, the Turkish ambassador noted they have reached an "exemplary” level and continue to grow stronger under the guidance of President Erdogan and HH the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
"We are happy that brotherly ties between our countries are being boosted by further cooperation in the defense industry. Recently, the Kuwaiti government signed a contract to purchase Turkish Bayraktar TB2 combat drones, which are arguably the most popular in the world. The TB2 can carry lightweight, laser-guided bombs and fly for up to 27 hours at a time, which was a ‘record’ it had set while testing the drone in Kuwait in 2019,” Sonmez mentioned.