Erdogan says Turkey aims to have ‘Steel Dome’ air defense system

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that his country aimed to have its own "Steel Dome" multi-layered air defense system soon, adding that Ankara would also increase its long-range missile capabilities.

NATO member Turkey has in recent years significantly reduced its dependence on external suppliers of defense equipment. It has become a leading manufacturer of armed drones for the global market and produces much of its own defense needs at home.

Speaking at a ceremony in Ankara to inaugurate the home-made Gokbey helicopter for use by the gendarmerie at the headquarters of the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAS), which was targeted by a deadly Kurdish militant attack last week, Erdogan likened the "Steel Dome" to Israel's famed "Iron Dome."

"It is understood much better now how vitally important our multi-layered air defence systems are for our...