(MENAFN) Türkiye’s KIZILELMA, an autonomous fighter aircraft, achieved a pioneering accomplishment in global aviation over the weekend, the president announced on Monday, asserting that the nation is witnessing “this dynamism” across numerous sectors.

The unmanned combat jet reached a fresh benchmark when it successfully hit a jet-powered target aircraft using a beyond-visual-range (BVR) air-to-air missile, according to its manufacturer Baykar on Sunday.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan noted that Türkiye has elevated its national income from $238 billion in 2002 to $1.5 trillion today, with an ambition of increasing it to $1.9 trillion by 2028. He delivered these comments following a Cabinet session in Ankara, the capital.

He reaffirmed that full accession to the EU continues to be Türkiye’s strategic aim despite ongoing hurdles.

Erdogan recalled receiving Pope Leo XIV and his delegation in Ankara on Nov. 27, highlighting that their discussions centered on major mutual concerns, including Israel’s assaults on mosques, schools, hospitals, and churches in Gaza.

He emphasized that Türkiye values both the late Pope Francis’ and Pope Leo XIV’s principled position on Palestine.

The president explained that he stressed Türkiye’s concern with maintaining the ceasefire, guaranteeing the delivery of humanitarian support to Gaza, and safeguarding Jerusalem’s historical status.

He added that their dialogue also covered challenges confronting the family institution, with both parties underlining the importance of the UN-endorsed Alliance of Civilizations, now comprising 160 member states.

The recent rise of Islamophobia in Western countries was another prominent topic.

Addressing the assaults on two commercial tankers in the Black Sea, Erdogan remarked that the conflict in Ukraine appears to have escalated to a stage that unmistakably jeopardizes maritime safety in the region.

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