Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced plans to ramp up production of medium and long-range missiles in response to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, aiming to strengthen Turkey’s deterrence capabilities.

Erdogan said that the move is intended to ensure that no country dares to threaten Turkey. “We are making production plans to bring our medium and long-range missile stockpiles to a level that ensures deterrence, in light of recent developments,” the president said following a cabinet meeting on Monday.

“God willing, in the not-too-distant future, we will reach a defence capacity that is so strong that no one will even dare to act tough toward us,” he added.

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In a separate address days later, Erdogan highlighted Turkey’s progress in developing a domestic defence industry, including drones, fighter jets, navy vessels, and armoured vehicles. He mentioned that continued effort was needed to ensure full deterrence.

Since the start of the Iran-Israel conflict, Erdogan has been scrambling to end the hostilities. He has held a flurry of phone calls with leaders, including US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, offering to act as a “facilitator” for the resumption of negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme.

Once close allies, Turkey and Israel have grown deeply estranged, especially after the start of the war in Gaza in 2023, with Erdogan becoming one of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s fiercest critics.