Last year, the Machinery and Chemical Industry Corporation set a historical record in profit for selling weapons and ammunition to a total of 29 different countries spanning from Panama to the Philippines to Switzerland and the United States. With a 180 percent increase in profit compared to figures from the year prior, 2011 sales reaped in 165 million liras in net profit. Assigned to providing all forms of weaponry, ammunition, rockets and explosives, the corporation's 2010 sales figure of 650 million liras soared to 850 million liras last year.

A 350 MILLION LIRA HIT ON THE CURRENT ACCOUNT DEFICIT

Orders from Turkey's Ministry of National Defense, the Armed Forces, the Ministry of the Interior, the Department of Police and the National Intelligence organization alone reached 350 million, 832 thousand liras last year.

In recent years the Machinery and Chemical Industry Corporation has designed a number of new products, not only through establishing a series of university and industry collaborations but also as a result of heeding significant consideration to research and development, resulting in an increase in exports every year. Last year, the Machinery and Chemical Industry Corporation sold a total of 98 million, 478 thousand liras worth of weapons and ammunition to 29 different nations spanning from Panama to the Philippines and from Switzerland to the United States. Including domestic sales, the Machinery and Chemical Industry (MKEK) realized a total 165 million lira in profit last year. In 2011, the Corporation also managed to sign on to 630 million liras worth of exporting agreements in 2011.

SAUDI'S SHOOT FOR THE SS30 RANGE

Saudi Arabia purchased the highest number of weaponry from MKEK at 44.6 million liras last year. Saudi Arabia primarily purchased SS30 rockets as well as a significant number of cartridges and ammunition. Following Saudi Arabia was Bahrain with 17.2 million liras worth of exports with Oman in third for the highest number of sales at 7.1 million liras. The majority of sales made to Bahrain and Oman consisted of bullets and cartridges.

A 283 MILLION LIRA PROJECT

MKEK is currently operating with 28 of Turkey's most prestigious universities to fulfill a total of 127 R & D projects including the 'National Tank Altay'', the ''Modern National Infantry Rifle", the ''Sharpshooting Rifle'', ''Air Portable Howeitzer'' and the ''Penetrable Bomb". The total budget for the aforementioned projects is 283 million liras.

The total sales made abroad by the Machinery and Chemical Industry Corporation on a Turkish Lira basis is as follows:

Countries - Total (TL)
Saudi Arabia 44,577,382
Bahrain 17,166,325
Oman 7,077,690
UAE 5,555,765
Colombia 4,023,549
Belgium 3,848,964
Pakistan 3,529,094
USA 2,675,761
Italy 1,441,100
Azerbaijan 1,292,353
Kazakhstan 1,191,925
Turkmenistan 822,780
Portugal 744,888
Chile 680,739
Egypt 573,213
Switzerland 532,304
Cameroon 525,369
Germany 454,915
Vietnam 386,249
Panama 332,288
Philippines 316,226
Tunisia 201,373
Indonesia 141,114
Romania 124,355
Qatar 120,195
Thailand 71,008
Morocco 64,993
Belarus 6,289
Total 98,478.206