Türkiye unveils its first ICBM (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

Türkiye has unveiled its first intercontinental ballistic missile, which officials say will significantly boost the country’s long‑range strike capability.

The 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).

Defense Minister Yasar Guler described the Yildirimhan as the country’s longest‑range missile to date and its first liquid‑fuel design capable of hypersonic flight. He said the ICBM represents a “major step” in the country’s defense capabilities and is viewed primarily as a deterrent weapon, but warned that it would be used offensively if necessary.

“If we have to use it, no one should doubt that we will do so without hesitation, and in the most effective way,” Guler stated.

The minister said the national defense industry had sharply increased production capacity, and that Turkish military systems had proven themselves “in the most difficult conflict regions of the world.” Guler also claimed that locally built platforms, developed to NATO standards and at lower cost, are “directly affecting the military capabilities” of foreign armies, and that Türkiye has moved from a mainly import‑dependent buyer to a country that “designs, produces and exports its own systems.”

Türkiye has rapidly expanded its defense industry capabilities in recent years, fielding a range of drones, cruise missiles and ground‑based systems that have been deployed in conflicts from Syria and Iraq to Libya and the South Caucasus.

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.