Turkey's Automobile Joint Venture Group (TOGG) has named Murat Akdaş, former factory director of Honda Turkey, as responsible for production, a statement made by the TOGG said Monday.

Akdaş, who has amassed more than 20 years of experience in the automotive industry having been at the Honda Turkey since 1997, will oversee positions in construction project management and production for the TOGG.

After completing his undergraduate studies at Istanbul Technical University's (ITÜ) Faculty of Naval Architecture and Machinery Engineering, Akdaş went on to receive a master's degree from the university's Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.

Akdaş, who started his professional life as a mechanical assembly control engineer at Istanbul’s Pendik Shipyard in 1991, continued in his position for three years before stepping into the automotive sector, working as a Kaizen engineer at Türk Pirelli Inc. for two years.

He began his career at Honda Turkey in 1997, starting at the quality department and has since overseen the management of several other areas.

Akdaş, who will take part in the management of all production processes at the TOGG, will be responsible for construction project management, production operations, production engineering, production quality, material management and working relations.

In June 2018, five industrial giants – Anadolu Group, BMC, Kök Group, Turkcell and Zorlu Holding – joined hands with the umbrella organization Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) to create the TOGG to realize Turkey’s longterm aim of producing a fully Turkish-made automobile, unveiling prototypes on Dec. 27.

The TOGG will produce five different models – an SUV, sedan, C-hatchback, B-SUV and B-MPV – by 2030 and own the intellectual and industrial property rights to each. Mass production of the SUV will begin in 2022, with the sedan to follow.