Therefore, Our Issue Cannot Be Only Raising Strong Engineers in Türkiye

Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi said Türkiye now develops its own aircraft and devices it once could not buy, marking a milestone in the defense industry. "The point reached in the defense industry is the work of a strong will and those who believe in this nation with their minds and hearts, he said. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 11th Konya Science Festival at the Konya Science Center, Çiftçi said Konya has risen as one of the leading cities of the Turkish Century in science, technology, industry, and production.

He expressed the desire for young people to become a generation that not only uses technology but also produces it and achieves developments the world follows. Çiftçi recalled the struggles of the late Şakir Zümre, Nuri Demirağ, Nuri Killigil, Necmettin Erbakan, and Özdemir Bayraktar, saying the youth will now continue their efforts. He noted that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's struggle is for a fully independent Türkiye in every field.

"We now develop the aircraft and devices we once could not buy even though we paid for them. We produce our unmanned aerial vehicles, helicopters, radars, missile systems, and electronic warfare technologies, he said. Çiftçi said the festival will host over 200 scientific events across an area of approximately 100,000 square meters, where children and young people will learn by experimenting, applying, and producing in fields from astronomy to physics, biology, engineering, and technology.

He stressed that knowledge, technology, and power alone are not enough, adding: "What matters is the values with which you use all of these. While extraordinary technological developments occur, we also face a mental siege trying to distance people from their nature and conscience. Therefore, our issue cannot be only raising strong engineers.

We must raise engineers with conscience, scientists with morality, and the spiritual architects of tomorrow's Türkiye who love their country and nation with all their souls. Deputy Minister of Industry and Technology Zekeriya Coştu said Türkiye has strengthened itself especially with the National Technology Initiative. "Today, Türkiye is in a very different position than 25 years ago.

There is now a Türkiye that can develop its own fighter jet, helicopter, unmanned aerial vehicles, electric car, tank, and satellite, he said. Konya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Uğur İbrahim Altay said the festival includes science shows, competitions, simulators, digital experience areas, and workshops, bringing together young people with institutions such as TÜBİTAK, TUSAŞ, ASELSAN, HAVELSAN, ROKETSAN, and BAYKAR. Governor İbrahim Akın and AK Party Konya Deputy Mustafa Hakan Özer also spoke.

A show with 1,000 drones drew interest after the speeches. Konya, Türkiye — The 11th Konya Science Festival opened at the Konya Science Center with officials highlighting the country's advances in defense technology and the National Technology Initiative. The event features over 200 scientific activities and runs across a 100,000-square-meter area, with exhibits from leading defense and technology institutions.