A hypersonic missile would be used \u201cwithout hesitation\u201d if needed, Defense Minister Yasar Guler has said<\/p>\n
T\u00fcrkiye has unveiled its first intercontinental ballistic missile, which officials say will significantly boost the country\u2019s long\u2011range strike capability.
\nThe missile, named Yildirimhan, was presented at the SAHA 2026 defense industry expo in Istanbul on Tuesday, according to local media reports. Developed by defense contractor ROKETSAN, it has an estimated range of around 6,000km (3,720 miles).
\nDefense Minister Yasar Guler described the Yildirimhan as the country\u2019s longest\u2011range missile to date and its first liquid\u2011fuel design capable of hypersonic flight. He said the ICBM represents a \u201cmajor step\u201d in the country\u2019s defense capabilities and is viewed primarily as a deterrent weapon, but warned that it would be used offensively if necessary.
\n\u201cIf we have to use it, no one should doubt that we will do so without hesitation, and in the most effective way,\u201d Guler stated.<\/p>\n
BREAKING \u2014 Turkey unveils intercontinental ballistic missile Yildirimhan with 6,000KM range during SAHA arms expo. Developed by Turkish Defense Ministry pic.twitter.com\/JyEJ95t9X2\u2014 Rag\u0131p Soylu (@ragipsoylu) May 5, 2026 <\/p>\n
The minister said the national defense industry had sharply increased production capacity, and that Turkish military systems had proven themselves \u201cin the most difficult conflict regions of the world.\u201d Guler also claimed that locally built platforms, developed to NATO standards and at lower cost, are \u201cdirectly affecting the military capabilities\u201d of foreign armies, and that T\u00fcrkiye has moved from a mainly import\u2011dependent buyer to a country that \u201cdesigns, produces and exports its own systems.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Y\u0131ld\u0131r\u0131mhan intercontinental ballistic missile, Istanbul, T\u00fcrkiye, May 5, 2026.<\/p>\n
\u00a9\u00a0Getty Images \/ \u00a9 Anadolu \/ Contributor <\/p>\n
T\u00fcrkiye has rapidly expanded its defense industry capabilities in recent years, fielding a range of drones, cruise missiles and ground\u2011based systems that have been deployed in conflicts from Syria and Iraq to Libya and the South Caucasus.<\/p>\n
The Y\u0131ld\u0131r\u0131mhan intercontinental ballistic missile, Istanbul, T\u00fcrkiye, May 5, 2026.<\/p>\n
\u00a9\u00a0Getty Images \/ \u00a9 Anadolu \/ Contributor <\/p>\n
The unveiling of the ICBM comes at a time of heightened tensions across the Middle East. Following the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran in late February, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged for the end of fighting before the entire region ended up in a conflagration. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan reportedly later acknowledged that the Iran war had provided Ankara with an increased incentive to accelerate domestic production of weapons and air defenses.<\/p>\n
T\u00fcrkiye\u2019nin k\u0131talararas\u0131 balistik f\u00fczesi Y\u0131ld\u0131r\u0131mhan’\u0131n boyutu g\u00f6r\u00fcnt\u00fclendi:Teknik \u00d6zellikler:\u2014 Menzil: 6.000 km\u2014 H\u0131z: Mach 9 \u2013 Mach 25\u2014 Yak\u0131t tipi: S\u0131v\u0131 Nitrogen Tetroksit (N\u2082O\u2084)\u2014 Roket itki motoru: 4 adetpic.twitter.com\/9uo8LvNjrp\u2014 BPT (@bpthaber) May 5, 2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A hypersonic missile would be used \u201cwithout hesitation\u201d if needed, Defense Minister Yasar Guler has said T\u00fcrkiye has unveiled its first intercontinental ballistic missile, which officials say will significantly boost…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":34783,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34782","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-environment","category-politics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t