Turkey's domestic car has attracted a great number of orders from the business world and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) after its prototype was showcased by the Science, Industry and Technology Ministry. Bendevi Palandöken, the chairman of the Confederation of Turkish Tradesmen and Craftsmen (TESK), said the confederation would strive to replace all taxis on the roads with domestic ones, and İbrahim Burkay, the chairman of the Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the chamber ordered 100 domestic cars.
Referring to the fact that there are more than 3 million taxis in Turkey, Palandöken underscored that TESK would start a campaign to replace the existing cars with domestic ones and encourage all tradesmen and craftsmen to purchase them. Palandöken emphasized using domestically produced goods, and said domestic cars would bring great advantages for tradesmen, as their parts will be produced in Turkey and will therefore be serviced at lower prices. In response to smear campaigns launched against the production of the domestic car, Palandöken said it would be more lucrative to develop an existing model than starting from scratch.
Hacı Bayram Tonbul, the vice chairman of the Confederation of Public Servants' Trade Unions (Memur-Sen), said the confederation joined hands with all provincial representatives and have begun preparations to order domestic cars. "We and our provincial agencies will be all driving domestic cars when mass production begins," he added. "We will launch campaigns to encourage our 850,000 members to buy domestic cars. We will also initiate talks with the ministry over the matter."
Meanwhile, a workshop will be allocated for the production of domestic cars in Bursa's Technological Organized Industrial Zone (TEKNOSAB), which is slated to be constructed in the near future. The BTSO
placed the first order for domestic cars even before mass production has begun. Burkay said the chamber is ready to buy 100 domestic cars, and all of the chamber's 35,000 member companies plan to buy at least 10 cars each. Burkay said the chamber is conducting lobbying activities for domestic car production, adding: "I believe the people of Bursa will be the most important customers of these cars." Underlining the necessity for the production of domestic cars, Burkay said Turkey has taken a historical step in the right direction for the domestic automotive sector. Referring to the fact that South Korea and China have developed through a strategy where they purchase world brands in different sectors in order to have competitive power in the global arena, Burkay said Turkey's contribution to the design of domestic cars, as well as to their production, would further consolidate the concept of domestic.
Burkay suggested Turkish research and development (R&D) companies could be incentivized to take an active part in the production process in a domestic car platform that will be established. "With work to be conducted on the domestic car platform, the local content ratio could be developed and increased in other models in addition to the concept whose visual, electrical and mechanic system designs have been brought from abroad."
Burkay also said there is not a minute to spare in a time when competition continuously rises, and Turkey needs some seven or eight years to produce domestic cars using a unique design. He suggested the most reasonable way for Turkey is to transfer technology from competent companies and to produce cars using its own initiatives without wasting time. Underlining that Turkey follows the strategies of the world's giant automakers in the production of domestic cars, Burkay said the project must be embraced and entrepreneurs must be encouraged to invest in it. He also suggested that before the manufacturing process begins, the public and private sector must join hands and make joint investments to create a Turkish brand.
