Turkey to become producer of critical technologies: Minister Varank

Turkey will become a producer of critical technologies, instead of a consumer, Turkey's industry and technology minister said Wednesday.

Mustafa Varank said Turkey will not be a market for technological products but a production base for the world.

Today, states show superiority to others not by wars but by economy and technology, he said at a virtual event in Geneva organized by the TURQUIA 1912 association.

Varank said university students should focus on entrepreneurship and inventions.

Touching on Turkey's National Technology Move, he said as long as science and technology are not developed for the benefit of humanity, they are worthless and Turkey's move is based on producing value for the benefit of humanity.

Regarding Turkey's space studies, he said the Turkish government wants to make the country an important nation in the global technology race.

He said Turkey has 10 main targets with its National Space Program, which was revealed recently, and noted a moon mission is the most popular one.

Turkey successfully tested a rocket engine last week that can be used for the moon mission, he said.

VACCINE STUDIES

Varank said Turkey took important steps during the coronavirus pandemic such as producing mechanical ventilators, face masks and cleaning materials.

It also gained significant ground in the vaccine field related to COVID-19, he said and noted there are seven innovative vaccine candidates within the county's special COVID-19 platform.

On Turkey's first indigenous electric vehicle, TOGG, he said, the country will become one of the most important players in the field.

TOGG will lead to establishing a mobility ecosystem in Turkey, he said.