Bayraktar: Türkiye will never give up a drop of Blue Homeland

Baykar Chairman Selcuk Bayraktar declared on Thursday that Türkiye will never relinquish its "Blue Homeland" — comparing the nation's 462,000 square kilometers of maritime jurisdiction to a garden that provides peace as the country hosts a major naval technology festival in Golcuk. Speaking at the opening ceremony of TEKNOFEST Blue Homeland at the Golcuk Naval Shipyard Command in northwestern Türkiye, Bayraktar emphasized that the Blue Homeland represents the garden where the nation finds peace. "Just as we would not give up a single room of our home, we will never give up a single drop of the Blue Homeland, which is our garden," he said.

Naval technologies on display

The event, organized under the leadership of the National Defense Ministry and the T3 Foundation with Anadolu Agency serving as global communications partner, features swimming, sailing and rowing competitions alongside demonstrations by underwater offense and defense commandos. Young participants are developing future maritime capabilities through competitions involving unmanned underwater systems, underwater rockets and unmanned surface vehicles, Bayraktar noted. Key naval platforms including the historic presidential yacht Savarona, the TCG Anadolu and TCG Istanbul warships and submarines are open to public viewing during the festival.

Message to youth

Bayraktar said the Bayraktar TB3 unmanned combat aerial vehicle has opened a new era in global naval aviation through its ability to take off from and land on the short-runway vessel TCG Anadolu. "Throughout TEKNOFEST Blue Homeland, AKINCI and Bayraktar TB3 will salute you and the gulf from the skies, proclaiming our determination for independence to the world," he said, referring to two of Baykar's signature high-tech drones. He urged young people to establish ambitious goals while remaining committed to their roots, advising them to follow paths that benefit humanity rather than routes leading into "aimless whirlpools and darkness."

Fight for independence

Bayraktar stated that the world is facing a moral and humanitarian collapse, with justice, compassion and international law being disregarded. He stressed that Türkiye's efforts extend beyond technology, saying, "The struggle we are waging in the Blue Homeland is therefore not merely a technology initiative. This endeavor is a fight for justice and independence." Bayraktar announced that following the Golcuk event, TEKNOFEST will move to Sanliurfa in southeastern Türkiye, with TEKNOFEST Southeast scheduled to begin on Sept. 30.