ANKARA, October 16. /TASS/. The conflict in Ukraine has shown that as many as about 30 Western countries failed to provide Kiev with enough ammunition, Turkey’s Defense Minister Yasar Guler said.
"In the context of the war between Ukraine and Russia, it can be seen that about 30 countries have been unable to come together to cover Ukraine's ammunition needs. This clearly demonstrates the importance and need for countries to be better prepared in the field of arms and ammunition stockpiles. Everyone is striving to develop and minimize its dependence in this field, understanding that if he does not do so, it will pay a high price," he told the Anadolu news agency ahead of a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels from October 17-18, which he will attend.
"Recent regional and global developments, conflicts and wars, as well as cracks in the international security architecture and disregard for the rules of war and humanitarian law, mean that no country in the world can feel completely safe anymore," the minister said. "Even countries like Norway and Finland, which think they are far away from risks, threats and dangers, are increasing their defense spending and investing in the military industry."
According to the official, existing risks have prompted Turkey to ramp up the development of its defense industry.
"The technologies needed today in a wide range of fields - from unmanned ground, sea and air vehicles to helicopters, from weapons and smart munitions to missiles, air defense and electronic warfare systems - are developed and produced inside our country by domestic capacity and exported to many countries. This increases the effectiveness of our soldiers on the battlefield while minimizing overall security threats," Guler stated.