After President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan entrusted the task of producing a domestic car to the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB), work has begun, and the union will set a roadmap on the issue in its June 6 meeting.

The TOBB General Assembly initiated endeavors after TOBB Chairman Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu responded positively to Erdoğan's demand to produce domestic cars under the union's roof. The chairmen of chambers and commodity exchanges, the board members of the TOBB, instructed staff on what should be done to produce domestic cars. Accordingly, the production of domestic cars will be the first agenda item in the TOBB board of directors' meeting on June 6.

The roadmap for the project will be determined in the meeting, and negotiations with companies will start in the next phase. TOBB board members said, "The domestic car will be a project by Turkey because it will take place under TOBB's roof, and TÜSİAD [Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association] members and MÜSİAD [Independent Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association] members are also under our roof, so President Erdoğan's assignment of the TOBB for the production of domestic cars is a crucial step." TOBB bureaucrats also noted that work on production has begun, and they will present a report to the TOBB administration at the meeting.

First model in 2019

Science, Industry and Technology Minister Faruk Özlü met with Hisarcıklıoğlu concerning the principles of the new model. The minister said, "Mr. Hisarcıklıoğlu will explain the prime contractor we seek as we introduced in our business model. We discussed the principles of the new model during last evening's meeting."

According to Özlü, the private sector will be a pioneer and contractor and it will decide a date after reaching an agreement with the private sector representatives. Also, they aim to introduce the first model in 2019.

Hisarcıklıoğlu noted that they have "urgently" initiated work on the domestic car project. Stressing that they have undertaken an important responsibility, he said: "We absolutely believe that we will be able to handle this job. We will meet with Minister Özlü and determine our roadmap."

Underscoring the issue of a domestically manufactured automobile on a number of other occasions, such as last week's TÜSİAD High Consultation Meeting, Erdoğan reiterated his call for a "Made in Turkey" automobile in his address to Turkish businesspeople at the 73rd TOBB Ordinary General Assembly.

"I hereby call the members of Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity exchanges to manufacture a fully indigenous, 'Made in Turkey,' automobile," the president said. The TOBB chair replied and expressed his willingness to take up the initiative.

Recalling that he has urged business people in the automobile industry many times over the last 15 years to manufacture a fully indigenous automobile, the president projected a critical perspective on the assembly line manufacture where automobile parts are sent to Turkey from abroad and assembled at Turkish factories.

"Assembly line manufacturing does not suit this nation. Automobile parts are only bought in from abroad, assembled here and then released to the market. Now this nation has the intellect and products to undertake this initiative. Securing the promise, we will aim to manufacture a fully domestic, 'Made in Turkey' automobile under the TOBB. And as the state, we will perform our due part," Erdoğan noted.