CHP Deputy Chairman Yankı Bağcıoğlu reacted to President Erdoğan's statement that "we couldn't produce a pin 25 years ago."
Retired Admiral Bağcıoğlu stated on his social media account, "If we are proud of what is being done now, we must also show loyalty and respect to the past," and added the following:
"While it was claimed that not even a pin could be manufactured; starting from 1939, the 1st group 'Ay-class submarines', from 1974 the 2nd group 'Ay-class submarines', and from 1977 'Doğan-class fast attack crafts' were produced at the Gölcük and Taşkızak Shipyards with foreign technology transfer and domestic contributions.
Furthermore, the Berk and Peyk escort destroyers, which were built with national resources in 1971, were the pioneers of our national shipbuilding industry.
In short; current technological capabilities are based on decades of labor. The production done alongside the capabilities we have reached today may seem very small, insignificant, and could be overlooked; but we must not forget that 54 years ago, for example, we were building ships while color television did not even exist in Turkey yet.
National ship projects, as well as the Atmaca guided missile and the Akya torpedo, are not limited to the last 15 years. The Ada-class corvette and weapon system projects began in the 1990s, and the TCG Anadolu project began before 2000.
While trying to glorify one era for political purposes, one should not belittle the earlier periods when the foundations of today were laid. Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty."
News Source: 12punto
