In 2002, only 66 defense industry-related projects were launched, while today the government is working on 543 projects in the scope of a total budget of $60 billion, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım said yesterday.

Prime Minister Yıldırım yesterday attended the opening ceremony of the Alp Aviation Helicopter Business Center in Eskişehir's Organized Industrial Zone (OSB).

He also said that the government has decided to establish the Turkish Space Agency in order to utilize space and aviation technologies for national development and national security, for the identification of natural resources and for the welfare of the people. "We have given a draft of this decision to parliament. During this legislative period, I hope that the Turkish Space Agency will also be established," he added.

The Alp Aviation Helicopter Business Center, which was founded in Eskişehir with an investment of $90 million, is expected to be responsible for the mass production of Sikorsky helicopters. The plant in Eskişehir will produce gear and gearboxes, rotary components, rotor assemblies, flight control systems and landing gear for Sikorsky helicopters.

It is predicted that the 11,000-square-meter plant to be realized by Alp Aviation with an investment of $90 million will generate $500 million in business volume.

Alp Aviation produces helicopter dynamics, tail rotor drive shaft systems, landing gear and aircraft structural components for customers such as Sikorsky, Pratt & Whitney, Pratt & Whitney Canada, Lockheed Martin, UTC Aerospace Systems, Honeywell and Boeing, with the capabilities and facilities of its subcontractors. Alp Aviation took part in the Turkish Utility Helicopter Program (TUHP), carried out with Sikorsky in association with Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. as the main contractor. The project, which is worth about $3.5 billion in contract price, will meet Turkey's requirement for utility helicopters. Within the scope of the project, 109 T70 Black Hawk Helicopters will be produced for the Land Forces Command, the Air Force Command, the Gendarmerie General Command, the General Staff Special Forces Command, the General Directorate of Security and the General Directorate of Forestry.