'Turkey to soon produce own national aircraft engine': Governing party

Joining an elite group of countries, Turkey will "soon" manufacture its own national aircraft engine, a top official of Turkey's Justice and Development (AK) Party predicted on Monday.

Speaking in parliament, Numan Kurtulmus, the party’s deputy chair, said worldwide there are currently only five countries that can make aircraft engines, but added: "If Turkey continues like this, it will soon make its own national aircraft engine and compete with the world.”

During budget debates, Kurtulmus said that the nation would continue its course “in the direction of a strong and great Turkey."

Kurtulmus also attributed certain countries’ opposition to Turkey on the world stage to “imperialist powers (who) know that if Turkey continues its march, it will establish its national defense system, air defense system, and produce its domestic and national engine within a few years.”

Also speaking in parliament, another AK Party deputy group chair reiterated that Turkish voters in 2017 decided to switch from a parliamentary system of governance to an executive presidential system.

The following year, incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan won reelection under the new system.

Nurettin Canikli, a lawmaker for the northeastern province of Giresun, called on deputies to continue to reject the former parliamentary system.

"Turkey will not go back” to the old system, he stressed. “Let no one doubt that. Turkey will continue to grow and become stronger."

The AK Party says the presidential system has streamlined decision making and made Turkey more powerful and effective, while the opposition claims it gives the president too much power.