3 firms named for Turkey's domestic car production


President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's call for domestic automobile production at the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) General Assembly has finally borne fruit. It was reported that the quadruple consortium to produce domestic automobiles will include Anadolu Group, BMC and Vestel. Erdoğan is expected to announce the consortium today at a ceremony at the Presidential Palace complex.

There have been many initiatives to produce domestic automobiles, but the production transfer of design and development within the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) has been inconclusive because domestic investors could not be found. In response, during TOBB's 73th Ordinary General Assembly meeting, Erdoğan addressed the members of the union: "Let's manufacture this 100 percent domestic automobile from within the TOBB community. ... TOBB should manufacture the 100 percent domestic automobile as Made in Turkey." Later, TOBB President Rıfat Hisarcıklıoğlu undertook finding investors for the project.

Following the meeting, TOBB conducted studies, held talks and finally formed a quadruple consortium. The corporations in this consortium, shares and production plans will soon be announced. According to the Dünya newspaper, the consortium includes domestic automobile firm BMC along with Anadolu Group, which produces light trucks, vans, buses and pick-ups with Isuzu Motors Ltd. and Itochu partnership (Anadolu Isuzu) and engines with ANTOR, and Vestel, one of Turkey's leading companies in electronics, which has become the most important entry of new generation vehicles in the country.