Turkey is developing secret weapons systems programmes, according to revelations made by the country‘s defence industry chief Ismail Demir and published by Nordic Monitor.

Many in Turkey believe that he is talking about nuclear weapons. This also explains Turkey‘s underground “give and take” with Pakistan, which has nuclear know-how, and R. T. Erdogan has never hidden his ambition for Turkey to become a nuclear power.

He believes that nuclear weapons and 5th generation fighters are the last steps Turkey must take to become a “superpower“.

As the research website NordicMonitor notes, it is not clear what these secret plans are, but it is obvious that Turkey has allocated resources and significant funds, hired more engineers and signed many contracts with domestic industry to strengthen its military capabilities in recent years.

The Turkish official‘s comments about the as yet unknown programmes that Turkey has and is ready to use in case of a conflict are likely to be linked to the missile technology it has been trying to develop over the last decade.

“I can clearly say that we will deploy them in the field to confront and neutralize the adversaries, whoever they are,” İsmail Demir, head of the Defense Industry Presidency, said in an interview.

“I stress that we have a lot of work to do and we have a long way to go, but when we look at what is happening around us, those who think that Turkey is an easy target will regret it,” he added.

Demir also said in the interview that Turkey is developing a long-range missile programme and added that more tests are needed to ensure that the system works without malfunctions when it is delivered to the Turkish Armed Forces.

Asked about the range of the missiles, Demir refused to answer.

In relation to advanced missile technology programmes, the Turkish government has also come under scrutiny in recent years, with many asking whether Turkey has secret weapons of mass destruction (WMD), including a nuclear device.

The dispute further intensified when Erdogan publicly questioned Turkey‘s commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), to which Turkey is a signatory.

In March 2018, Erdogan promised to acquire advanced military hardware, including nuclear missiles, comparing Turkey‘s military capabilities with those of the US.

In April of the same year, Erdogan criticized Israel‘s then Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling Israel a “state of terrorism” and warning that Netanyahu should not boast of having nuclear weapons in his arsenal, as they will be rendered ineffective when the time comes.

The most shocking statement, of course, was made on September 4, 2019, when Erdogan said, “Some countries have missiles with nuclear warheads, not just one or two. But they tell us that we can‘t have one too. I will never accept that. “