Automotiv_September

Monthly automotive aftermarket magazine
Turkey’s car company due to
initiate operations in September
Mehmet Gürcan Karakaş,
CEO of Automobile
Initiative Group
Turkey is geared to manufacture
a domestic car company and
brand capable of competing
on the global scale. The CEO of
the newly formed Automobile
Initiative Group, Mehmet Gürcan
Karakaş told that group was ready
to commence with a qualified
team of specialists. Karakaş said
that he had analyzed the financial
and technical aspects of the
indigenous car project.
"Our mission is to carry out
a project of transforming
technology with a qualified team
of experts. We will give it its final
shape after we begin work on
Sept. 1," he said, pointing out
that they are acting with a vision
of a car brand that can compete
with and have a say in the global
market.
The partnership agreement
to launch Turkey's first locally
produced car brand was
signed on May 31, according
to a statement from the partner
companies.
Five local firms with 19 percent
shares each; Anadolu Group,
BMC, Kök Group, Turkcell,
and Zorlu Holding, along with
the Union of Chambers and
Commodity Exchanges of Turkey
(TOBB) with five percent shares,
will jointly lead the firm.
Karakaş, one of the top global
executives in technology giant
Bosch, was officially appointed as
the CEO of the new firm.
His appointment was announced
by President Recep Tayyip
Erdoğan during an interview .
"The indigenous car project's
shareholders' trust, commitment,
and adaptation impressed me,"
said Karakaş.
He said as an engineer who
has committed himself to the
automotive industry he was
excited to bring the experience
he gained abroad to Turkey.
The initiative came after repeated
calls from President Erdoğan for a
joint car project by TOBB and the
Science, Industry and Technology
Ministry.
Last November, President
Erdoğan announced that the
prototype of the first domestically
produced car - expected to be
produced in Ankara - would be
ready in 2019 and would enter
the market by 2021.
"I want to own the first automobile
(produced), provided that I
will pay for it. No one should
hesitate. We will produce Turkey's
car with the best design and
technology, both for our country
and the world," Erdoğan said in
November.
The President praised efforts to
ensure that the mass production
of the first domestically produced
automobile would be either
electric or hybrid.
Turkey attempted to produce
its first domestically produced
car the Devrim (Revolution) in
1961, however the attempt was
unsuccessful and production
was halted following the first
prototypes.
60 SEPTEMBER 2018