The opening of the new factory of Teknokar Defense and Aviation Inc., one of our member companies, located in the Space and Aviation Specialized Organized Industrial Zone in Kahramankazan, was held yesterday with a magnificent ceremony.
The opening ceremony, which saw a large turnout, was attended by the Minister of Industry and Technology of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Varank; the Deputy Head of the Presidency of Defence Industries of the Republic of Turkey, Celal Sami Tüfekçi; the President of the Ankara Chamber of Industry, Nurettin Özdebir; the Governor of Ankara, Vasip Şahin; the District Governor of Kahramankazan, Engin Aksakal; the Mayor of Kahramankazan, Serhat Oğuz; and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of OSSA, Ahmet Mithat Ertuğ, as well as leading figures from the defense industry sector.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Minister of Industry and Technology Mustafa Varank emphasized the importance of localization in the defense industry, stating, “We have managed to increase the localization rate from around 20 percent in 2002 to over 70 percent. The sector's annual turnover has exceeded 11 billion dollars. Approximately 30 percent of this turnover comes from exports. Turkey has now become a country that can not only build its own defense industry but also export to foreign markets.”
Varank stated that the sector has gained good momentum in growth and is poised to become one of Turkey's leading sectors in the near future, saying, "In the period after 2015, the sector's turnover grew by an average of 22 percent annually in dollar terms, and its exports by an average of 12 percent annually, but we still have a long way to go. I believe there are many more untapped opportunities in the defense industry for our private sector companies."
Varank stated that another Organized Industrial Zone that will make a significant contribution to Turkey in the defense and aerospace sector is the Ankara Aerospace and Aviation Specialized Organized Industrial Zone, which now includes Teknokar, and added, “149 of the 155 industrial plots in the region have been allocated to investors. When all facilities are filled with investors, we foresee an additional 15,000 jobs here.”
Celal Sami Tüfekçi, Deputy Head of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey's Defense Industry Directorate, stated that they have made localization in defense projects their mission and have included it as a condition in contracts, saying, "In other words, 70% of the main platform project given to our large defense industry companies must be transferred to small industrialists in various categories. In this way, a defense industry ecosystem has been formed."
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Ankara Chamber of Industry President Nurettin Özdebir requested support from Minister Varank for resolving the problems of the civil aviation sector, stating, "This sector has also begun to experience difficulties due to the suspension of orders by major global contractors, and revenues have dropped significantly. The companies operating in this sector need long-term support, at least until 2022, to prevent them from losing their workforce."
Teknokar Defense and Aviation Inc. General Manager Necla Yılmaz, in her speech, emphasized that the company will focus on expanding into foreign markets with its experience, and stated that the company aims to export in the near future. Yılmaz noted that the company will participate in larger projects.
