The Turkish public on Wednesday witnessed another defence industry milestone as the nation’s first indigenously developed fighter jet completed its first flight, part of the country’s efforts to upgrade its air force and curb external dependency.

Named KAAN, the fifth-generation warplane took off in the early hours on Wednesday and stayed in the air briefly before returning to an air base in north Ankara, according to a video shared by its developer, the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI).

TRNC state and government officials issued messages congratulating their Turkish counterparts for this great achievement.

Congratulating Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Turkish Armed Forces and the Turkish Nation via a post on social media, President Ersin Tatar highlighted the pride in the achievements of Türkiye’s national defence industry, noting that the country had passed yet another critical threshold towards producing its 5th generation fighter jet.

“Kaan, spreading its wings into the sky, will fulfil significant roles in safeguarding the rights and interests of the Turkish nation in the airspace of Turkiye’s Century with its advanced technology electronic warfare systems and integrated logistics infrastructure,” Tatar said in his post.

The Acting President, Speaker of the Republic’s Assembly Zorlu Töre also expressed his pride in KAAN’s first flight.

In his message, Töre emphasized that Türkiye’s production of its 5th generation fighter jet is not only a significant development in the region but also a sign of becoming a major power in the world.

“The saying of our founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, ‘The future is in the skies,’ has gained even greater significance with the successful first flight of KAAN,” the parliamentary speaker said in his message.

Also issuing a message, Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu expressed his pride in the successful completion of the first flight of Türkiye’s national combat aircraft KAAN.

In his written statement, Ertuğruloğlu highlighted that this historic success in the Turkish aviation and defence industry initiated with Atatürk’s motto “The future is in the skies” and pursued with determination by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, is a source of pride for Türkiye’s Century.

He emphasized that Türkiye’s strength is also the strength of the Turkish Cypriots and extended heartfelt congratulations to those involved in the project.

The new fighter jet will initially be powered by two General Electric engines, which are also used on fourth-generation Lockheed Martin F-16 jets.

Türkiye aims to use domestically produced engines on KAAN in serial production expected to start in 2028.

The jet will make Türkiye one of the few countries with the infrastructure and technology to produce a fifth-generation combat aircraft.