First Turkish car to enter market in 2021?

Five Turkish firms – Anadolu Group, BMC, Kok Group, Turkcell, and Zorlu Holding plan to create Turkey's first indigenous car brand. The manufacturing company is named Turkey's Automobile Initiative Group.

The initiative followed Erdogan's announcement that the prototype of the first domestically produced car would be ready in 2019, Anadolu Agency reports.

Mehmet Gurcan Karakas, one of the top global executives in technology giant Bosch and a successful Turkish manager in the global automotive market, was appointed as the CEO.

– Rest assured, Turkey will produce a competitive brand in the global market – Karakas added.

Science, Industry, and Technology Minister Faruk Ozlu said the new project was a technological breakthrough for the country.

– As the government and ministry, we will provide the necessary support, especially in research and development, design and production operations, and make the necessary arrangements for the establishment of infrastructure for electric vehicles in Turkey – Ozlu added.

The initiative came after repeated calls from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for a joint car project of TOBB and the Science, Industry and Technology Ministry of Turkey.

Last November, President Erdogan announced that the prototype of the first domestically produced car, expected to be produced in Ankara, would be ready in 2019 and enter market in 2021.

Turkey attempted to produce its first domestically produced car in 1961, the Devrim (Revolution), which was unsuccessful after production was halted following the first prototypes.

Anadolu Group

BMC

Kok Group

Turkcell

Zorlu Holding

Turkeys Automobile Initiative Group

Bosch

first Turkish car

Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Erdogan

Mehmet Gurcan Karakas

Faruk Ozlu

Devrim

TOBB

electric vehicles

electric cars

production of automobiles

car factory