Automotive Ekports May 2024

Monthly automotive aftermarket magazine 

GROUP CHAIRMAN 

H. FERRUH ISIK 

PUBLISHER: 

İstmag Magazin Gazetecilik 

İç ve Dış Ticaret Ltd. Şti. 

Managing Editor (Responsible) 

Mehmet Söztutan 

mehmet.soztutan@img.com.tr 

Advertising Sales Consultant 

Adem Saçın 

+90 505 577 36 42 

adem.sacin@img.com.tr 

Enes Karadayı 

enes.karadayi@img.com.tr 

International Marketing Coordinator 

Ayca Sarioglu 

ayca.sarioglu@img.com.tr 

Advisory Editor 

Yusuf Okçu 

yusuf.okcu@img.com.tr 

Finance Manager 

Cuma Karaman 

cuma.karaman@img.com.tr 

Digital Assets Manager 

Emre Yener 

emre.yener@img.com.tr 

Technical Manager 

Tayfun Aydın 

tayfun.aydin@img.com.tr 

Graphic & Design Advisor 

Sami aktaş 

sami.aktas@img.com.tr 

Accountant 

Yusuf Demirkazık 

yusuf.demirkazik@img.com.tr 

Subsciption 

İsmail Özçelik 

ismail.ozcelik@img.com.tr 

HEAD OFFICE: 

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Mehmet Soztutan, Editor-in-Chief 

mehmet.soztutan@img.com.tr 

Automechanika Istanbul full speed! 

Turkish automotive industry, with its vehicles and components manufacturing 

sub-sectors, is one of the major exporting industries of the Turkish economy. 

As noted earlier in this column, the autoparts industry of Türkiye has developed 

rapidly as a consequence of developments in the automotive industry. The 

autoparts industry with its large capacity, wide variety of production and high 

standards, supports automotive industry production and the vehicles in Türkiye 

and also has ample potential for additional exports. Business people operating in 

the industry have become outward oriented more than ever before. 

These companies not only dominate the primary supply markets but also capture 

an increasing share of the replacement market. Their continued success in 

exports markets depend on close technical links with part makers in industrialised 

countries and the willingness of their foreign partners to integrate their Turkish 

counterparts into their production-distribution networks as regular suppliers of 

high quality, low-cost components. 

Türkiye’s autoparts industry exports are increasing steadily year by year. Türkiye 

is the only country within the surrounding geographical area to have established 

a well-advanced automotive industry. Therefore, the automotive industry is 

strategically important both for Türkiye and for firms that will invest in Türkiye. 

We think that technology will always be the key for the survival of the automotive 

industry. History says so. 

This month, we participate in Automechanika Istanbul 2024 to convey the 

message of the Turkish automotive and auto spare part exporters. The stars of the 

automotive world will be meeting at the Fair as usual. 

Automechanika Istanbul 2024, showcasing the latest global trends, has turned 

out to be a remarkable automotive aftermarket platform globally. The Fair 

which covers the full range of automobile, truck and bus parts, equipment, 

components, accessories, tools, and services continues to bring world renowned 

manufacturers, suppliers and service providers in touch with one of the most 

important growing markets in the world. 

The markets targeted by the Fair are widely recognised as the most attractive in 

the world in terms of future potential for business opportunities. 

Our publications remain at the service of those business people seeking to 

increase their share in the increasingly competitive automotive markets. 

We wish lucrative business for all participants. 

automotiveexport 

EDİToR 

automotiveexports

Auto sales increase 6 percent in March 

May 2024 

A total of 109,828 passenger cars and light commercial 

vehicles were sold in Türkiye in March, marking a 

5.7 percent increase from a year ago, data from the 

Automotive Distributors’ and Mobility Association 

(ODMD) have shown. 

The passenger car market expanded by 9.9 percent 

year-on-year as sales amounted to 87,071 units. The 

annual rise in sales slowed from 72 percent in January 

and 40 percent in February. But more passenger cars 

were sold last month than in January and February. 

Light commercial vehicle sales, however, plunged 7.9 

percent from March 2023 to 22,757. 

Last month, 6,784 electric vehicles (EVs) were sold in 

Türkiye, pointing to a 209 percent year-on-year. The 

share of EVs in total vehicle sales was 7.8 percent, 

according to the numbers of the association. 

The EV market grew nearly 255 percent in the first 

quarter of 2024 compared to the January-March period 

of last year. In the quarter, a total of 16,556 EVs were 

sold in the country, capturing a 7.1 percent share in 

total vehicle sales. 

The combined sales of passenger cars and light 

commercial vehicles increased by 25.2 percent in the 

first three months of 2024 to 295,519 units, according 

to ODMD data. 

The passenger car market grew more than 33 percent 

with sales reaching 233,389 units. 

The annual increase in light commercial vehicle sales 

was only 2.6 percent to 62,130, according to the data. 

8

CEO expects Togg to become profitable by 2027 

April 2024 

12 

Togg, Türkiye’s first homegrown electric vehicle maker, 

may become profitable as early as 2027, its CEO 

Gürcan Karakaş has said. 

“We started selling cars in 2023. So, to reach 

profitability, I think it will take four to five years from 

that point,” Karakaş told Automotive News Europe in 

an interview. 

Togg delivered 19,583 vehicles last year, according to 

data from the Automotive Distributors’ and Mobility 

Association. EV sales in Türkiye leaped 833 percent in 

2023 from 2022 to 72,179 units. 

“Based on an analysis of the market that we did with 

Boston Consulting, the conclusion was that by 2032, 

give or take two years, the profitability structure will 

shift to a 50-50 mix for digital services and car sales,” 

Karakaş said. 

Now, the stress they face is increasing production to 

meet demand, but it will take time because they didn’t 

expect to reach that level of output at their plant near 

Istanbul for four to five years, he added. 

Karakaş said that their business plan until 2032 doesn’t 

include launching in the U.S. or China. 

“However, since we have seen good progress, 

we could be in a position to surpass the 

175,000-production capacity at our plant earlier than 

expected. We think that with demand at 350,000, we 

would still primarily be in the European space.” 

If demand goes beyond 500,000 or 600,000 then they 

would need to look at additional markets, Karakaş 

said. The CEO also noted that Togg is not aiming to 

offer a 20,000-euro EV. 

“If you want to have something that is state of the 

art when it comes to the battery, connectivity, safety, 

cybersecurity and the electric architecture, that already 

costs more than 20,000 euros,” he said. 

Togg’s third car will be smaller than the first two, and 

it will be less expensive, but it will not be priced at 

20,000 euros, Karakaş added.

Car sales hit 300,000 in first quarter of 2024 


The combined sales of passenger cars and light 

commercial vehicles will likely reach a quarterly record 

of 300,000 in the January-March period, according to 

representatives of the auto industry. 

In March alone vehicle sales could reach some 120,000 

units, they said. 

In the first two months of 2024, the auto market 

expanded by 41 percent from a year ago as a total of 

186,000 vehicles were sold. 

Passenger car sales grew more than 52 percent 

annually to 146,318, while the year-on-year increase in 

light commercial vehicles was 9.8 percent to 39,343, 

according to the latest data from the Automotive 

Distributors and Mobility Association (ODMD). 

Consumers rushed to dealers to buy cars before the 

local elections, anticipating that the government may 

resort to further monetary tightening, which could 

lead to higher loan rates. Potential buyers expect 

hikes in the prices of brand new and used cars for the 

remainder of the year, which gave a boost to sales 

during the first quarter. Sales in March were strong due 

to demand from disabled individuals, who wanted to 

benefit from the special consumption tax exemptions 

on cars and purchases by rental companies, according 

to experts. 

In March, almost four out of 10 cars were sold to 

individuals who provided medical reports showing that 

they have disabilities. Meanwhile car dealers offered 

discounts of up to 10 percent, ahead of the elections. 

Experts, however, differ on the outlook in the car 

market in 2024 with some forecasting a 30 to 35 

percent contraction in sales this year. 

Last year, a record 1.23 million passenger cars and 

light commercial vehicles were sold in Türkiye. 

However, representatives of Stellantis Group in Türkiye 

are more optimistic about the prospects. 

They forecast total vehicles sales at 1.1 million units 

this year. 

16

Turkish automotive production 

expands, exports remain strong 

Automotive production in Türkiye expanded in the first 

quarter of the year with exports from the sector also 

maintaining upward momentum, the industry data 

showed. The total automotive production in the first 

three months of the year surged by 3% compared to 

the same period last year, reaching 377,070 units, the 

data from the Automotive Manufacturers Association 

(OSD) revealed. 

Accordingly, automobile production saw a 7% increase 

year-over-year, reaching 238,274 units. Together with 

tractor production, total production was realized at 

390,925 units. Commercial vehicle production in 

the first quarter of the year dropped by 4% versus 

the same period last year, while there was a 5% 

decrease in the light commercial vehicle group and a 

1% increase in the heavy commercial vehicle group, 

respectively. During this period, the capacity utilization 

rate of the automotive industry was 77%. 

Exports on rise Meanwhile, the data also showed that 

the automotive exports rose 1% on the quantity basis 

in the first quarter of 2024, when compared to the 

same period last year, to 256,511 units. 

During the period there was a fall of 2% in automobile 

exports versus the first quarter of a year earlier, while 

the commercial vehicle exports were up by 5% yearover-year 

in January-March. 

Tractor exports dropped by 13% compared to the 

same period in 2023, at 4,562 units. 

Overall, total automotive industry exports maintained 

its top position in the sectoral export ranking with a 

14% in the first quarter of the year, according to the 

data from the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM). 

The exports from the automotive industry stood at 

$9.2 billion in the first three months of the year, up 5% 

year-over-year, the data from the Uludağ Exporters’ 

Associations (UIB) data showed. 

In the January-March period, the total market grew by 

24% compared to the same period last year, reaching 

307,461 units. During this period, the automobile 

market also reached 233,389 units, with a 33% 

increase. Looking at the commercial vehicle market, 

there was a 2% increase in the total commercial 

vehicle market compared to the same period last year, 

a 3% growth in the light commercial vehicle market 

and a 1% decrease in the heavy commercial vehicle 

market. 


24

European car market contracts 

in March, EVs share slips 


The European car market experienced its first decline 

of the year in March, with the share of electric cars 

falling below last year’s levels, according to official data 

released. Some 1.03 million new passenger cars were 

registered last month in the European Union, down 

5.2% from a year earlier, the European Automobile 

Manufacturers Association (ACEA) said in its monthly 

report, citing the impact of early Easter holidays 

and a market downturn. According to the ACEA, car 

registrations fell in March by 6.2% yearly in Germany, 

4.7% in Spain, 3.7% in Italy and 1.5% in France, 

reflecting contraction in the four largest markets. For 

the first three months of the year, registrations are up 

4.4% from the year-ago period. The strongest quarterly 

growth was in France and Italy, which saw registrations 

rise by 5.7%, while they were up by 4.2% in Germany 

and 3.1% in Spain. Even though Europe plans to ban 

the sale of new internal combustion engine cars by 

2035, sales of electric cars have stalled in the past few 

months. EV sales growth has slowed, and investment 

in capacity and technology development has outrun 

demand as many prospective buyers are deterred by 

cost and continuing doubts about infrastructure. 

Only 13% of new registrations in March were electric, 

up slightly from 12% in February but down from 14.6% 

for all of last year. 

In Germany alone, registrations of electric cars fell by 

28.9%. On the other hand, hybrid cars accounted for 

29% of the market in March, up from 24.4% in March a 

year ago. The Volkswagen group, which also includes 

Audi and Skoda, remained the largest seller of cars 

in Europe, though its share of the market shrank 0.8 

points to 24.9%. 

Stellantis (Peugeot, Citroen, Fiat) also lost 0.4 points to 

18.9%. Among gainers, hybrid-specialist Toyota saw 

its share jump 1.1 points to 8.1%. 

The number of new vehicles registered in March in the 

EU, Britain and the European Free Trade Association 

(EFTA) fell by 2.8% to 1,383,410 vehicles, despite a 

10.4% increase in Britain, the ACEA data showed. 

26

Türkiye’s Vestel unveils new 

mobility unit, sets sights on growth 

Turkish home and professional appliances 

manufacturing company, Vestel, which specializes 

in electronics, unveiled its new startup unit “Vestel 

Mobilite,” which unites all mobility and energy storage 

projects, run on substantial investments throughout the 

last 10 years, under a single umbrella organization. 

The new company for the production of electric vehicle 

(EV) charging stations, energy storage systems and 

automotive electronics was introduced at a news 

conference attended by Vestel CEO Ergun Güler. 

The company aims to turn its newly founded mobility 

and energy storage unit into at least a $1 billion (TL 32 

billion) business in three years, according to Güler. 

In his keynote speech, Güler introduced Vestel 

Mobilite as a newly established entity that represents a 

divergence from the parent company’s traditional focus 

on the production of white goods and electronics. 

Traditionally a consumer electronics and durable goods 

manufacturer, Vestel branched into auto electronics 

and display systems through its partnership with the 

country’s first electric vehicle producer Togg, the best 

seller in the local market. 

With the global-scale paradigm shift toward electric 

vehicles, Güler said the company aims to align with 

this trend and participate more in this market. 

Vestel CEO Ergun Güler, Istanbul, Türkiye, April 4, 

2024. The company’s interest in this sector has 

extended to a 23% stake in Togg, the Turkish EV 

manufacturer headquartered in the country’s northern 

Kocaeli province and founded in 2018 by a joint 

venture of five Turkish companies. 

Vestel intends to work on the software and technology 

for the in-car screens, or what he calls “the computers 


28


of the cars,” which Vestel already manufactures and 

supplies. According to Güler, the company’s ultimate 

goal is to develop its role as one of the most important 

players in EV charging stations, with a larger global 

share in this field. 

He also pointed out that by 2030, electric vehicles are 

expected to reach a 45% share of overall global vehicle 

sales, subsequently producing significant opportunities 

in automotive electronics with an increasing demand 

for EV charging stations. 

He described the company’s ambitious goal to 

establish itself as a leader in technology in Türkiye with 

the hope of obtaining a ranking in the Fortune Global 

500, an annual ranking of the top 500 companies 

globally based on revenue. 

As part of its new growth strategy, Vestel aims to 

grow “exponentially” in its newly founded mobility 

unit, hitting either $1 billion in revenue or market 

capitalization in three years, Reuters quoted Güler as 

saying. 

“We are open to all collaboration or partnerships,” 

he said. Vestel Mobilite will operate in Europe, the 

Middle East and North Africa (MENA) – markets worth 

a collective $580 billion – focusing on EV components, 

charging stations and large-scale electricity storage 

systems. 

Vestel also signed a non-binding agreement with 

China’s Shenzhen Desay Battery Technology Ltd. 

to design and assemble commercial-scale battery 

modules in Türkiye, Vestel Mobility’s head Hakan 

Kutlu said. The company will consider an initial public 

offering (IPO) once operations are mature, Kutlu said, 

without elaborating. 

Battery production capacity is expected to begin at 2 

gigawatts (GW) per annum, with sales initially geared to 

local hybrid power plants, where electricity storage is 

integrated into renewable energy plants. 

Vestel has produced electric charging stations for the 

past seven years, exporting to more than 30 countries, 

including Poland, Spain, Italy and Greece. 

Its portfolio consists of charging units capable of 

charging from 60 kilowatts to 720 kilowatts, but 

Güler said 1,000 kilowatt units would hit the market 

in January 2025.The company is on a fast track with 

its R&D, production, sales and marketing teams and 

has a presence not only in Türkiye but also in the 

Netherlands, the Far East and India. 

Parent company Vestel aims to double its core 

electronics and durable goods revenue over the next 

three years from around $4 billion currently, Güler 

said. The company has not yet released its end-2023 

financials. 

30

Kaya Plastic Automotive always gears 

up in the automotive aftermarket industry 

It works according to the domestic and international market needs and trends. It has a fame 

to run from one project to another to keep up with the ever-changing market needs. 

without products. That’s why we are very happy and 

proud. As a company, we are constantly experiencing 

growth both in the physical workplace, in product 

diversity, and in terms of customers and turnover. Our 

greatest mission is to constantly conduct research and 

continue looking forward. 


Kaya Plastic Automotive has a very rich product 

portfolio and it a highly dynamic brand chasing after 

new developments. We spoke with Aydın Kaya, 

Assistant General Manager, and Nurşen Kaya, Manager 

of Export Division about their success story. 

Could you briefly introduce yourself and your 

company? 

KAYA PLASTIC AUTOMOTIVE is a family company 

whose foundations were laid in 1978. Our company 

has worked and continues to work in line with its own 

goals and objectives every year since the day it was 

founded. The main aim of our company is to produce 

and sell the best that can be done in its work. At this 

point, we are witnessing these in terms of quality 

and customer satisfaction. Our advantages in many 

points such as product diversity, close relations with 

customers, continuity and problem solving have carried 

us to this day and contributed to our deep-rooted 

connections. Even during the pandemic period, while 

many companies were temporarily or permanently 

closed, we constantly produced and shipped in our 

company so that our customers would not be left 

What is in your product portfolio and what are the 

prominent factors in these products? What kind of 

work do you do on product development and R&D? 

Our product range includes nearly 600 products and 

more than 800 molds, which have been accumulated 

over the years. When choosing our products, we 

work according to the needs of the markets, both 

domestic and international needs and trends. Our 

product portfolio includes many products such as 

Rear fog lights, Radiators and Water tanks, Gear 

knobs, Oil bars, Fender signals, Glovebox covers, 

Fog light frames, Seat adjustment handles, Ceiling 

lights, Trunk release buttons, License plate lights. 

We are a company that constantly works on product 

development. We are constantly improving how we 

can produce our products better and ship them as 

needed. We constantly receive appreciation and 

positive feedback from our customers in this regard. 

We are a company that constantly continues to work 

with new projects. What draws attention in the diversity 

of our products is that we create a range according 

to the needs of customers in each continent. In other 

words, while we generally protect and develop spare 

parts for old model vehicles for North African countries 

and Eastern Anatolia, we try to produce and develop 

new model vehicle parts for European markets. This 

requires working for the needs of each continent 

and market, and also requires having a wide range. 

Otherwise, you cannot meet the need. Our biggest 

difference at this point and the main reason why we 

are ahead of our competitors is that there are many 

different products in our product groups that we group 

within their own range without being captured from 

a single point. While this makes you unique on the 

one hand, it also causes you to compete in different 

products rather than just one type of product. 

32

What are the features that make you superior to 

your competitors? 

I think our biggest difference and superiority, as a 

company that has completed 44 years in the sector, is 

primarily having the power and relationships to ensure 

continuity. . Of course, to be able to do this requires 

strong insight, solid analysis ability, creating customer 

satisfaction, problem-solving skills, being innovative, 

competitive price, reliable, loving your job, and always 

looking forward, respecting our business, our suppliers 

and customers, and doing good needs analysis. We 

think that these are our most important differences 

and that we love our job, producing and serving. We 

increase our production and product diversity by 

observing the momentum of each competitor and 

evaluating possible situations. In fact, in a way, what 

makes us different from others is doing what has not 

been done before. We do not prefer to open a döner 

restaurant next to a döner restaurant just because it 

sells a lot. Everyone’s job and destiny is different. We 

prefer to open a pita restaurant to add variety to the 

döner restaurant and not to undermine the winner. 

Products that are difficult to make and difficult to 

produce are especially our business. We have always 

been, and still are, a company whose ideas are taken, 

followed and copied in the industry. All of this, of 

course, stems from years of experience and the fact 

that we carry many features together. If some of our 

customers want to work with us, sell and promote our 

products, but do not prefer that manufacturer, even 

though our prices for some products are a little higher 

than the other competitor’s, all we have to do here is to 

be rightfully proud. This means that we are on the right 

track in many issues and we think it is necessary to 

continue this. 

Do you have any investments planned in the short, 

medium and long term? 

Yes, we have different investment plans both 

domestically and internationally. In particular, 

companies that want to use know-how from abroad 

and seek partnerships are increasing. We will be here 

with new surprises and good developments in the 

coming days. We have investment ideas in many new 

areas, both domestically and internationally, and we 

will try to implement them as soon as possible. As 

a company that is talked about and followed in the 

sector, you will definitely be aware of this. Our motto is; 

When you stop, you fall, we will continue running. 

Can you give details about your exports? 

Your current and target markets, international 

promotion, participation in fairs, etc. What would 

you like to say about your strategies? 

We like to much working as an export company. 

In this context, it makes us very happy to provide 

employment and to see that our products are sold 

in various markets and are in constant demand. Our 

overseas customers like us very much because of 

the quality of our products, our company stance 

and our competitive attitude. We strive to serve and 

respond to the needs of different markets and further 

increase our exports. Our products are in demand in 

various countries on 5 of the 7 continents. We see our 

products directly and indirectly in these countries. We 

are pleased to see our own products even in a market 

and customer where we do not sell directly. We are a 

company that continues to produce and export with a 

portfolio of dozens of customers in 28 countries on 5 

continents. 

We like using both domestic and international fairs 

every year for export. It gives us pleasure to listen 

to our existing and new prospective customers and 

update ourselves. We targeted 5 different fairs in 

2024 and started working on them. Fairs we will 

attend this year: Automechanika Istanbul held in 

Tüyap, Latin Parts Panama, Automechanika Moscow, 

Automechanika Frankfurt and Expo Cairo-Egypt fairs. 

Is there any issue or issues you would like to 

particularly emphasize? 

We work to protect and continuously improve existing 

products on the one hand, we develop new products 

according to the needs of the markets on the other. 

In addition, we attach great importance to product 

development documents and status documents. There 

are investment documentation studies carried out by 

our company. We obtained the EAC certificate required 

for Russian exports after great effort and expensive 

costs. We had some of our lighting group products 

redone for the European market and received E-Mark 

certification from Europe for 17 different lighting 

products. Apart from these, we also obtained our 

exporter documents and our Euipo-based Overseas 

Trademark Registration certificate, which is registered 

by 22 European countries, as a result of long efforts. 

As of this year, we are switching to a B2B system for 

our customers. These are studies that were completed 

last year and this year, but we will continue to run with 

new surprises and expansions in the coming days. 


33

Togg dominates Türkiye’s 

EV market with over 4K units sold in Q1 


Türkiye’s first indigenous electric vehicle, Togg, 

emerged as an EV market leader in the first quarter 

of the year with over 4,000 units sold, according to 

industry data compiled by Anadolu Agency. 

Togg sold 4,145 vehicles in the first three months of 

the year, as shown by the data compiled by AA from 

the Automotive Distributors and Mobility Association 

(ODMD). 

Data revealed that car sales in Türkiye remained strong 

despite the surge in borrowing costs and inflation as 

overall monthly and quarterly sales rose. 

The ODMD said sales climbed 25.2% to 295,519 units 

in the January-March period compared to the first 

quarter of last year. 

During this period, car sales increased by 33.05% to 

233,389 units, while light commercial vehicle sales rose 

by 2.6% to 62,130 units. 

Meanwhile, according to the data, the number of “fully 

electric” car sales in January-March increased by 

275.9% to 14,158. 

The share of fully electric cars in total sales rose from 

2.1% to 6.1%, while the share of hybrid cars increased 

from 11% to 14.2%. 

When considering fully electric, extended-range 

electric and hybrid vehicles, electric motor-equipped 

vehicles accounted for 21.3% of the total market. 

According to ODMD data, Togg, which continues to 

increase its popularity among electric car brands, 

maintained its market leadership in the first quarter of 

the year. 

Togg, which was officially rolled out late in 2022, is 

currently producing a fully electric C-segment SUV at 

its plant in northwestern Bursa province. The brand 

launched the production of its T10X in October 2022 

before starting deliveries last April. 

Earlier this year, Türkiye’s first domestically produced 

electric car brand also unveiled its sedan model T10F 

at CES 2024, a major consumer electronics and IT fair 

held in Las Vegas. 

In addition to the SUV and sedan, Togg is expected to 

manufacture three other models – a C-hatchback, a 

B-SUV, and a B–MPV – by 2030. 

Selling 4,145 units in January-March, it surpassed its 

closest competitor by 2,533 units. 

During this period, Togg’s market share in the 

electric car market stood at 29.7%; in other words, 

approximately one out of every three electric cars sold 

across the country was a Togg T10X model. 

Following Togg, German brands were seen in the top 

three and were followed by South Korean brands. 

BMW ranked second with 1,612 sales, while Mercedes 

Benz ranked third with 1,064 units sold. 

Ssangyong ranked fourth with 830 sales and Hyundai 

ranked fifth with 770 sales in the first three months, 

respectively. 

Among Chinese brands, MG stood out with 768 sales, 

followed by BYD with 550 sales and Skywell with 

96 sales. The increasing trend of electric cars in the 

Turkish car market remains relatively high, as several 

EV makers, including Chinese giant BYD and Tesla, of 

tech billionaire Elon Musk, entered the market last year. 

Tesla, the U.S.-based car manufacturer, sold 375 cars 

in three months but did not make it to the top 10, 

according to the ODMD data. 

Looking at the electric car market on a model basis, 

Togg T10X was the best-selling model. The BMW 5 

Series ranked second, Ssangyong Torres third, MG4 

fourth and Atto 3 fifth 

36

Vehicles are safer with Lider Filter 

Lider Filtre ile taşıtlar daha güvenli 

Her çeşit araç için hava filtreleri üreten Lider Filtre 

Otomotiv firmasının sahasındaki liderliğinin sırlarını 

Yönetim Kurulu Başkanı Erol Soytaş’a sorduk. 

We asked Erol Soytaş, Chairman of the Board of 

Directors, the secrets of the leadership of Lider Filter 

Automotive, which produces air filters for all kinds of 

vehicles. 


company? 

Lider Filtre Otomotiv Sanayi Ltd. Şti. was founded by 

Erol Soytaş in 1993 and started to produce air filters 

in the automotive sector in Istanbul. It is a dynamic 

company that closely follows the technology and 

continues its necessary investments. 




We manufacture air filters for heavy-duty construction 

machinery, tractors, light vehicles and automobiles. 



Our company has taken its respected place in the 

market by producing quality products through quality 

raw materials, high technology and professional staff. 



We are doubling our production potential and 

expanding our machine park. With this growth, we are 

also doubling employment. Thus, we aim to offer more 

products to more customers and we will provide better 

quality service. 


company? 

Lider Filtre Otomotiv Sanayi Ltd. Şti. kurumumuz Erol 

Soytaş tarafından 1993 yılında kurumuş İstanbul’da 

otomotiv sektöründe hava filtreleri üretimine 

başlamıştır. Teknolojiyi yakından takip edip gerekli 

yatırımlarına devam eden dinamik bir şirkettir. 




Ağır vasıta iş makineleri, traktör, hafif araçlar ve 

otomobiller için hava filtreleri üretimi yapmaktayız. 



Firmamız kaliteli hammadde, yüksek teknoloji ve 

profesyonel elemanları vasıtasıyla kaliteli ürünler 

üreterek piyasadaki saygın yerini almıştır. 



Üretim potansiyelimizi iki katına çıkarak makine 

parkurumuzu genişletiyoruz. Bu büyüme ile istihdamı 

da iki katına çıkarıyoruz. Böylece daha çok ürünü daha 

çok müşteriye sunmayı hedefliyoruz ve daha kaliteli 

hizmet vereceğiz. 





Yurt dışı fuarlarına katılım sağlıyoruz. Genelde Orta 

Asya ülkelerine ihracat yapıyoruz. 

Batı Asya ülkelerine de ihracat yapmaktayız. Zaman 

içinde ihracat ağımızı daha da geliştirmeyi planlıyoruz. 






We participate in fairs abroad. We generally export to 

Central Asian countries. 

We also export to West Asian countries. We plan to 

further develop our export network over time. 

38

Number of EVs in Türkiye 

could reach 4 million in decade 

The number of electric vehicles (EVs) on Turkish roads 

is projected to exceed 4 million units by 2035, while 

the number of charging socket points is estimated to 

reach nearly 350,000, according to the data compiled 

by Anadolu Agency (AA) on. 

According to information compiled from the Electric 

Vehicle and Charging Infrastructure Projection 

prepared by the Energy Market Regulatory Authority 

(EMRA), the increase in electric vehicles and charging 

points is considered a positive step for developing the 

e-mobility ecosystem. 

The projection considers increasing the number of 

electric vehicles and rapidly expanding the charging 

infrastructure throughout the country as a strategic 

goal. 

As a result, Türkiye is projected to reach 4.2 million 

electric vehicles and 347,934 charging sockets by 

2035. 

Electric vehicles are considered to be more efficient, 

and that, combined with the electricity cost, means 

that charging an electric vehicle is cheaper than filling 

petrol or diesel for your travel requirements. Using 

renewable energy sources can make the use of electric 

vehicles even more eco-friendly. 


40

However, EMRA’s projection includes three scenarios 

regarding the number of electric vehicles and charging 

infrastructure: low, medium and high. 

According to the given projection, the number of 

electric vehicles could reach 202,030 in the low 

scenario, 269,154 in the medium scenario and 361,893 

in the high scenario by 2025. 

Moreover, by 2030, this figure is estimated to be 

776,362 in the low-case scenario, 1.32 million in the 

medium scenario and 1.67 million in the high scenario, 

respectively. 

By 2035, the number of EVs, on the other hand, is 

expected to be 1.78 million in the low scenario, 3.3 

million in the medium scenario, and 4.2 million in the 

high scenario, meaning most ideal in these terms. 

With the rise in electric vehicles and the development 

of charging infrastructure, a consequent increase in the 

number of charging stations and socket points is also 

expected. 

In 2025, the number of charging socket points is 

calculated to be 34,278 in the low scenario, 46,070 in 

the medium scenario and 61,897 in the high scenario. 

Five years later, this figure is projected to rise to 85,543 

in the first case scenario, 142,824 in the second and 

181,274 in the high scenario. 

Furthermore, by 2035, the number of charging socket 

points is expected to be 146,916 in the low scenario, 

273,076 in the medium scenario and 347,934 in the 

high scenario. 

The projection also anticipates that total electricity 

consumption due to electric vehicles will range from 

3.98 to 9.39 terawatt-hours (TWh) by 2035. 

A period of rapid development in the EV ecosystem 

has been visible in Türkiye and around the globe, with 

projections of top associations, most recently the 

International Energy Agency (IEA), indicating that this 

trend is on course to continue in the upcoming years. 

IEA said in its report that global electric car sales are 

set to remain robust in 2024 and could reach a new 

record of around 17 million by the end of this year, 

compared to 14 million sold last year. 

According to the EMRA, the electric vehicle charging 

network infrastructure plays a key role in achieving 

energy efficiency and reducing carbon footprint as the 

foundation of an environmentally friendly transportation 

system. In addition, Türkiye’s renewable energy 

potential and advanced energy infrastructure present 

an important opportunity to support the widespread 

use of electric vehicles. 

Compared to the beginning of last year, when 14,896 

electric vehicles were present in Türkiye, this figure has 

now climbed to 93,973. 


42

Honda to set up $11B EV, battery 

plant in record Canada investment 

April 2024 

Japanese auto giant Honda announced it would build a 

massive new electric vehicle battery and car assembly 

plant worth C$15 billion ($11 billion) in the largest 

automotive investment in Canada’s history. 

Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe told a joint news 

conference with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and 

other officials that electric vehicles will start rolling off 

the new assembly line in 2028. 

Once fully operational, the factory will have a 

production capacity of 240,000 vehicles per year and a 

battery output of 36 gigawatt hours (GWh) per year. 

“The world is changing rapidly, and we must work 

toward realizing carbon neutrality to sustain the global 

environment,” Mibe said. 

Honda estimates that 1,000 new jobs will be produced 

at the facility, which is to be built next to its existing 

Civic and CR-V assembly plants north of Toronto that 

already employ 4,200 workers. 

Trudeau touted Ottawa’s efforts to set up “a whole 

ecosystem” around the production of electric batteries, 

positioning Canada as an attractive destination 

for electric vehicle investment, with generous tax 

incentives, renewable energy access and its rare 

mineral deposits. 

“Because of the choices our government has made 

over the past few years, Canada now ranks first, 

globally in Bloomberg’s ranking of lithium-ion battery 

supply chains,” Trudeau said. 

Ontario Premier Doug Ford noted that his province 

is “the only place in the world that six of the largest 

automakers call home” and with Honda’s investment 

is now “leading the world in the electric vehicle 

revolution.” 

In the federal budget, Trudeau’s government 

introduced a new business tax credit, granting 

companies a 10% rebate on construction costs for 

new facilities used in key segments of the electric 

vehicle supply chain. 

The estimated value of the federal tax credit for 

Honda’s new facility is C$2.5 billion, while Ford said 

the province is contributing another C$2.5 billion in 

incentives. 

In the last four years, automotive and battery makers 

have announced more than C$31 billion in investments 

in electric vehicle manufacturing across Canada. 

Canada’s strategy follows that of the neighboring 

United States, whose Inflation Reduction Act has 

provided a host of incentives for green industry. 

Since 2021, Honda has made big outlays as it 

aggressively pursues its objective of becoming 100% 

electric in its automobile segment by 2040. 

Its new facility in Alliston, Ontario will be the first to 

tap into Canada’s EV supply chain investment tax 

credit and joins recently announced Volkswagen and 

Stellantis battery plants in Canada. 

Honda will also build a cathode active material and 

precursor processing plant as well as a separator 

plant through joint ventures with chemical companies 

POSCO Future M and Asahi Kasei in order to complete 

its local EV supply chain. 

44

Nissan plans to slash EV production 

costs, boost global sales 


Japanese automaker Nissan announced that it would 

expand its electric vehicle lineup, develop more 

powerful batteries and slash production costs while 

speeding up the whole process in what its chief called 

“The Arc” pathway to higher sales by 2030. 

“The auto industry is now being forced to reshape its 

values so we can say continuous change is the new 

normal,” CEO Makoto Uchida told reporters, outlining 

a sprawling but ambitious business plan. 

“Nissan must change. We cannot succeed if we 

continue along the same path.” 

Costs will come down for electric models, so they’ll be 

about the same as gasoline-engine models by fiscal 

2030, while global sales will grow by a million vehicles 

during that period, he added. 

Last year, Nissan Motor Co. sold nearly 3.4 million 

vehicles worldwide, up about 5% from the previous 

year. 

The company plans 30 new models over the next 

three years, 16 of them EVs. Nissan plans to launch 

34 EV models from fiscal 2024 through fiscal 2030 so 

that EVs will account for 40% of its global offerings by 

fiscal 2026 and 60% by the end of the decade. 

To slash costs, Nissan says it will start working with 

suppliers from the development stage, upgrade 

production methods to incorporate robotics and 

artificial intelligence, and have models share 

components – not just platforms but also parts. It also 

promised innovation in autonomous vehicles to make 

driving safer. 

Nissan, based in the port city of Yokohama, southwest 

of Tokyo, will leverage its partnerships around the 

world, including those with smaller Japanese maker 

Mitsubishi Motors Corp., with Dongfeng Nissan in 

China and in the alliance it has with French automaker 

Renault. 

Earlier this month, Nissan announced it was in talks to 

form a partnership with Japanese rival Honda Motor 

Co. in electrification and artificial intelligence. 

Such tie-ups between rivals are relatively unusual but 

are needed to keep up with surging demand for more 

sustainable transport as concerns grow over carbon 

emissions and sustainability, analysts say. 

Nissan, Japan’s No. 2 automaker, was an early EV 

adapter, coming out with the Leaf EV in late 2010. In 

recent years, Japanese automakers have fallen behind 

Tesla of the U.S. and Chinese manufacturers like BYD. 

Automakers, including Nissan, have taken a hit from 

shortages of computer chips and other parts due to 

disruptions related to the pandemic. 

Nissan’s offerings of new EVs, plug-ins and hybrids will 

increase across all global markets, including the U.S., 

Europe, Japan, the rest of Asia, Australia and Africa, 

Uchida said. 

“The Arc plan shows our path to the future. It 

illustrates our continuous progression and ability to 

navigate changing market conditions. This plan will 

enable us to go further and faster in driving value and 

competitiveness,” he said, referring to Nissan’s goals. 

Nissan’s stock price, which shot up earlier this month 

after its talks with Honda were announced, finished 2% 

lower shortly before Uchida’s news conference. 

46

Turkish manufacturing 

index holds steady 

in March 


Factory activity in Türkiye was highly neutral in March, 

signaling unchanged operating conditions for Turkish 

manufacturers during the month, a closely watched 

business survey showed. 

The headline Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) 

slipped slightly to the 50.0 no-change mark in March 

from 50.2 in February, data provider S&P Global’s 

monthly report, prepared in collaboration with the 

Istanbul Chamber of Industry (ISO), said. 

The report indicated that business conditions were 

stable overall during the month. 

The PMI is a key economic indicator that provides 

insight into the health of the manufacturing industry. A 

reading above 50 indicates expansion, while a below 

50 suggests contraction. 

Manufacturing output grew fractionally in March, while 

new orders and employment eased marginally but 

neared stabilization. 

New orders eased to the smallest extent in nine 

months, encouraging some firms to expand production 

and increase purchasing activity in March. 

Inventories continued to moderate, however, with 

stocks of both purchases and finished goods scaled 

back at the end of the first quarter. Some firms 

experienced delays in receiving inputs as a result of 

disruption in the Red Sea, with lead times lengthening 

for the third month running. 

Evaluating the data, S&P Global Market Intelligence 

Economics Director Andrew Harker said: “March was 

a month of stability for Turkish manufacturers. New 

orders continued the recent move towards stabilization 

and this improving picture prompted further modest 

increases in output and purchasing.” 

“If the recent trend in demand continues, we should 

hopefully see growth building momentum as we go 

through the second quarter of the year,” he added. 

48

Tesla rebounds on new models plan 

after 55% fall in net profit in Q1 


Tesla reported a big slump in quarterly profits amid an 

increasingly cutthroat electric vehicle market and price 

reductions of some of its models, but shares pulled 

back as CEO Elon Musk pledged to accelerate plans 

for a more affordable EVs. 

Tesla reported profits of $1.1 billion, down 55% from 

the year-ago quarter on revenues of $21.3 billion, down 

9% as the company described EV sales as “under 

pressure.” 

However, shares rocketed up more than 11% in afterhours 

trading after Tesla pledged to “accelerate” new, 

more affordable autos – something Wall Street analysts 

have been clamoring for. 

The results, which lagged analyst estimates, come 

as investors have sought greater strategic clarity 

from Musk amid a weaker performance and as the 

mercurial Tesla boss has touted Robotaxis as a venture 

at a time when there are increasing questions about 

the timeframe that autonomous technology will be 

commercially viable. 

The company, which recently announced layoffs of 

some 14,000 workers, has also undertaken a recall of 

its Cybertruck due to an acceleration problem. 

Cutting headcount by more than 10% will save Tesla 

more than $1 billion annually in costs, Chief Financial 

Officer Vaibhav Taneja said on a conference call with 

analysts. 

Despite the belt-tightening, Tesla’s report did provide 

some news likely to cheer investors, saying it planned 

to “accelerate the launch of new models ahead of our 

previously communicated start of production in the 

second half of 2025.” 

The new vehicles will include “more affordable 

models,” Tesla said. 

50


At the outset of conference call, Musk said production 

on the vehicles would start in early 2025 or late 2024, up 

from the prior timeframe of the latter half of 2025. 

Musk said the vehicles “will use new aspects of the 

next-generation platform as well as aspects of our 

current platform. “So, it’s not contingent on any new 

factory or massive new production line.” 

Musk declined to elaborate on the plan, saying 

more details would be released in August.The Tesla 

CEO spoke at length about the promise of Tesla’s 

autonomous ventures, saying valuing the EV maker like 

a car company is the “wrong framework.” 

“If somebody doesn’t believe Tesla is going to solve 

autonomy, I think they should not be an investor,” he 

said. The statement about new vehicles comes on the 

heels of speculation that Tesla is shelving plans for the 

“Model 2,” the unofficial name of what is expected to 

be a mass-marketed, lower-priced vehicle. 

While Tesla’s statements about new vehicles boosted 

shares, “the company still hasn’t offered timelines for 

these new vehicles, which could take years to come 

to market at a time when EV competition in various 

markets is intensifying,” said Gadjo Sevilla, senior 

technology analyst at Emarketer. 

Tesla also said it will continue to pursue a 

“revolutionary” manufacturing strategy on a “purposebuilt 

robotaxi product.” 

Leading analysts have expressed skepticism about the 

embrace of the Robotaxi venture. 

Deutsche Bank analysts downgraded Tesla to a 

“hold,” pointing to disappointments about the 

rumored Model 2 delay that weren’t offset by the 

Robotaxi push. 

Musk announced that the Robotaxi will be unveiled 

in August “in no way means the technology is ready,” 

said Deutsche Bank, pointing to “technological, 

regulatory and operational challenges” that could 

hamper its commercial prospects. 

“We worry there is considerable execution risk to the 

development of Robotaxi technology and that a fleet 

deployment could be years away,” Deutsche Bank 

said. Shoggi Ezeizat, analyst at Third Bridge, said 

Tesla’s ambitious push in robotaxis “could provide 

a competitive edge” with “sustained and robust” 

commitment. 

However, the campaign “carries significant risks,” 

including regulatory challenges, scaling demands 

and the potential for setbacks “that could impede 

progress and affect consumer trust in autonomous 

services,” Ezeizat said. 

Heading into 2024, Tesla watchers were already 

girding for a tougher path, with Musk’s oncedominant 

leadership in EVs facing more competition 

from rivals, resulting in a series of price cuts. 

However, things have been bumpier than expected, 

with news of the job cuts and lower vehicle deliveries, 

followed late by Tesla’s recall of the Cybertruck due 

to an acceleration problem. 

52

Welcome to Automechanika Istanbul! 

The Meeting Point of Continents and Automotive Industry-Where You Should Take Part 

World’s leading trade fair brand for the automotive 

aftermarket industry, Automechanika’s one and only 

event in Türkiye, Automechanika Istanbul will take 

place on May 23 - 26, 2024 at Istanbul TUYAP Fair and 

Congress Center. 

Automechanika Istanbul brings industry, retail and 

seminars together in one place. The latest edition in 

June 2023 brought a total of 58.024 professionals from 

all around the world together with 1437 exhibitors from 

41 countries and 10 country pavilions. 

Automechanika Istanbul covers the full range 

of automobile, truck and bus parts, equipment, 

components, accessories, tools, and services 

continues to bring world renowned manufacturers, 

suppliers and service providers in touch with one of the 

most important growing markets in the world. 

As for this year: 

• Industry meeting point-Automechanika Istanbul 

brings industry, retail and seminars together in one 

place. 

• At the heart of the action- Istanbul’s location is 

literally a bridge between Europe, the Middle East, 

North Africa and CIS regions. 

• Large yet accessible: Each year, hundreds of 

exhibitors come here to showcase their latest 

developments. Thanks to the exhibition grounds’ clear 

structure and visitor guidance systems, you’ll have no 

trouble finding what you’re looking for. 

• Globally networked- more than 40.000 buyers build 

relationships with suppliers from all over the world. 

You should get connected with the future of the 

automotive service industry at the Turkey’s leading 


54


trade fair Automechanika Istanbul. As a meeting place 

for the industry, dealership trade and maintenance 

and repair segment, it provides a major platform for 

business and technological knowledge transfer. 

While the automotive industry continues to develop 

through electric vehicles and solutions, Turkish 

manufacturers, which develop themselves with the 

focus on technology and innovative solutions, are 

also focusing on the future with Automechanika 

Istanbul. Underlining that Automechanika Istanbul 

is the most important fair of the sector, Ali Ozcete, 

Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Automotive 

Aftermarket Products and Services Association (OSS), 

stated, “As an association, we have been one of the 

main supporters of the fair for years. Automechanika 

Istanbul is a very valuable fair for both us and our 

members. Automechanika Istanbul provides a 

great opportunity for companies to improve their 

relationships with their customers, establish new 

connections and therefore strengthen their position 

in the market. “Last year, we attended the fair with 

approximately 130 members and received positive 

feedback from all our members.” 

Ozcete added, “Automechanika Istanbul allows our 

members to exhibit and promote innovations in the 

sector, while also allowing them to establish business 

connections and network. In addition, it also offers 

the opportunity to examine market conditions in 

the automotive aftermarket sector and determine 

future trends. Thus, participants can access data to 

support their business decisions by analyzing the 

strategies of their competitors and other players in 

the industry. We also organize various events with our 

members within the scope of the fair. During the fair, 

which is very productive for the sector, we organize 

both international conferences and various events 

and panels. In this way, exhibitors and visitors can 

learn about the latest developments in the sector 

and have the opportunity to interact with experts.” 

He commented on the importance of Automechanika 

Istanbul for the industry with his words. 

“Our export companies operating in the automotive 

industry managed to deliver their products to 112 

countries in 2023.” Underlined by these words that 

Automechanika Istanbul, which will be held for the 

17th time this year between 23-26 May 2024, will bring 

together the entire automotive after-sales value chain. 

Ozcete said, “Our members are participating in the fair 

in many countries where Automechanika takes place. 

We attach great importance to the organization held 

in Istanbul. The fair makes significant contributions 

to our industry with the innovations it provides every 

year. The issues affecting the automotive after-sales 

sector specifically for 2024 and in the coming years 

include many important topics such as the production 

of spare parts required for electric and autonomous 

vehicles, digitalization, automation and the widespread 

use of robotics. In addition to the products and services 

exhibited this year, Automechanika Istanbul 2024 will 

offer an environment where all these technological 

developments will be shared for automotive industry 

professionals. In this sense, we can say that the 

innovations and events at the fair will be very beneficial 

for us.” He shared his comments with his words. 

Continuing his words with the work within the scope 

of the “Balance at Work” project that they have 

implemented as an association, Ozcete stated, “We 

started the Balance at Work project in order to see more 

educated students in our sector and to communicate 

with them easier and faster. With this project, we have 

increased the employment of female employees in 

our sector.” In this regard, we also ensure that the 

students we work with participate in the fair every year, 

bring them together with companies and invite them 

to our panels, so that they get to know the sector. In 

this way, they get to know the fair and communicate 

with our members. This year, within the scope of the 

project, we also ensure that students get to know the 

Automechanika brand. “We plan to shed light on their 

future by hosting them in Istanbul,” he said. 

56

Türkiye bolsters EV sales, races 

towards top 5 among EU states 


Türkiye has been shown to have performed better 

compared to many European Union countries in fully 

electric car sales in the first two months of this year, 

according to an Anadolu Agency (AA) report, based on 

industry data. 

Accordingly, the sales of fully electric cars reached 

8,255 units in January-February, according to the data 

compiled by AA from the Automotive Distributors and 

Mobility Association (ODMD). 

Looking at the overall sales, the petrol cars ranked 

first with 97,861 units sold, while hybrid cars came in 

second with 21,594 units sold in Türkiye during the 

same period. 

Diesel sales stood at 15,910 units, and LPG (liquefied 

petroleum gas) sales were at 1,181 units, according to 

the data. 

Furthermore, while electric vehicle sales stood at 8,255 

units when vehicles with an extended range (which 

operate by running an electric motor with a petrol 

engine generator to charge the battery) were included, 

the sales figures for electric cars rose to 9,772. 

Extended-range vehicles are also classified as 

“electric” under the international coding system, 

Customs Tariff Statistics Position (GTIP). 

Car sales in the first two months increased by 49.3% 

for petrol cars when compared to the same period last 

year, decreased by 0.5% for diesel and decreased by 

43.3% for LPG cars. 

During this period, hybrid car sales surged by 113.8% 

and fully electric car sales soared by 329.5%. 

According to the data obtained by AA, while the share 

of petrol, diesel and LPG cars in total sales decreased 

in the January-February period versus the same period 

the year earlier, the share of electric cars and hybrid 

cars picked up. 

The share of petrol cars in total sales, which was 

68.1% in the January-February period of last year, 

decreased to 66.9% in the first two months of this 

year. Meanwhile, the share of diesel cars dropped from 

16.6% to 10.9%, and the share of LPG cars decreased 

from 2.2% to 0.8%. 

At the same time, the share of fully electric cars 

58

increased from 2% to 5.6%, and the share of hybrid 

cars rose from 10.5% to 14.8%. When considering 

fully electric, extended-range electric and hybrid cars, 

electrified vehicles accounted for 21.5% of the total 

market. 

The increasing trend of electric cars in the Turkish car 

market remains high compared to European markets. 

This can be partly attributed to many European and 

Asian brands introducing their ambitious models to the 

Turkish market, in addition to the soaring interest in 

the first domestically produced electric vehicle, Togg, 

whose sales surpassed 2,800 units in the first two 

months of the year. 

According to ODMD data, Togg, which continues to 

rise among electric car brands, became the market 

leader with 1,201 units sold in February, leaving behind 

BMW and Ssangyong. Its total sales in the first two 

months reached 2,826 units, compared to only 295 

units of Tesla sold during the same period. 

Alongside electric cars, the number of hybrid vehicles, 

another part of electric mobility, is also said to be 

increasing. 

Meanwhile, the analysis of data on European electric 

vehicle market sales showed that Germany stood at 

the forefront in the number of units sold in the first two 

months, leaving France closely behind and Belgium in 

third place. 

Germany, with 49,953 units sold, was the leader among 

the 27-member EU bloc, according to the recent 

European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association 

(ACEA) data. The total number of EVs sold in France 

was 45,842 units and in Belgium, there were 19,380 

units. The Netherlands ranked fourth with 17,004 sales 

and Sweden ranked fifth with 10,165 sales. 

The sales in Italy stood at 7,986 units and in Spain at 

7,180 units, while Denmark also quoted high with 8,100 

units sold and its neighboring Finland sold 2,917 units 

of electric cars during the same period. 

With 8,255 fully electric cars sold in the two months 

of 2024, Türkiye was positioned at a high sixth place 

among EU countries, surpassing countries like Italy, 

Spain, Austria and EV-friendly Denmark and Finland. 

Looking at the data and the growth rate of the market, 

Türkiye, closely following Sweden, appears to be one 

of the closest candidates to rank among the top five 

countries in electric car sales. Industry representatives 

predict electric car sales across Türkiye could reach 

120,000 units this year. 


60

Türkiye’s foreign trade gap nearly 

halves amid upward export trend 


Türkiye’s foreign trade deficit narrowed by almost 50% 

in February, as exports grew and imports fell, official 

data showed. 

The shortfall fell by 44.2% from $12.13 billion in 

February 2023 to $6.77 billion, the Turkish Statistical 

Institute (TurkStat) said. 

Exports grew 13.6% compared to a year ago to nearly 

$21.1 billion. Imports declined 9.2% year-over-year to 

$27.85 billion, the data showed. 

Energy imports, which hold the biggest share in 

Türkiye’s purchases from abroad, dropped by 14.6% to 

$5.75 billion. 

Elaborating on the data, Trade Minister Ömer Bolat 

said Türkiye is achieving a more balanced structure of 

economic growth with the upward trend in exports and 

the decrease in imports. 

“With this positive trend in foreign trade, it is expected 

that net goods and services exports will make a 

positive contribution to growth in the 

first quarter of 2024,” Bolat said in a 

statement. 

Excluding energy products and nonmonetary 

gold, exports stood totaled 

$19.6 billion, up 12.3% from a year 

ago, and imports came in at $20.99 

billion with a 5.2% increase in February. 

The foreign trade deficit – excluding 

energy products and non-monetary 

gold – totaled $1.4 billion, the data 

showed. 

For the January-February period, the 

gap decreased by 51% versus a year 

ago to $12.95 billion. 

Outbound shipments totaled $41 

billion, up by 8.5% year-over-year, and imports 

dropped by 16% to $54 billion over the two months, 

the TurkStat said. 

Bolat stressed what he said was a significant decrease 

in the current account deficit due the narrowing foreign 

trade gap. 

He recalled that the annualized current account deficit 

decreased by $22.6 billion this January compared to 

May 2023, reaching $37.5 billion. 

The current account is the most complete measure of 

trade because it includes investment flows and trade 

in merchandise and services. A deficit means Türkiye 

is consuming more from overseas than it is selling 

abroad. 

The February foreign trade reading signals a continued 

decline in the current account gap, said Bolat. 

“With the increase in exports and the decrease in 

imports, macroeconomic stability is strengthened, 

and a more balanced structure of economic growth 

is achieved. With this positive trend in foreign trade, 

it is expected that net goods and services exports 

will make a positive contribution to growth in the first 

quarter of 2024,” the minister noted. 

Narrowing the current account gap and reaching 

a surplus were among the main goals of President 

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s economic plan in recent years. 

However, sharply rising oil, gas and grain prices after 

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine caused it to widen until 

mid-2023. 

The deficit in 2023 as a whole came in at $45.2 billion, 

down from $48.8 billion in 2022. 

62

On Filter always aims high 

Producing all kinds of oil-fuel and hydraulic filters, including spin-on type 

filters, air filters, cabin and element filters, On Filter company proudly 

serves its customers in more than 50 countries. 

Yusuf Yılmaz, general manager of On Filter 

In fact, On Filter supplies 5500 types of oil-fuel-airhydraulic-cabin-generator 

and compressor filters 

for all kinds of vehicles. The company has filters for 

large vehicle groups, automotive groups, construction 

equipment, generators, compressors and special 

hydraulic filter types. We asked their success story to 

Yusuf Yılmaz, general manager of the company. Full 

text of the exclusive interview follows: 


company? 

Yusuf Yılmaz, I am the general manager of On Filter 

Ltd. Şti. We serve our domestic and international 

customers with our registered trademarks ONFİL 

FİLTER and KRAFF FİLTER. Although we started 

production in 1996, our actual start as a filter 

salesman was in 1985. Our company produces all 


64

kinds of oil-fuel and hydraulic filters, including spin-on 

type filters, air filters, cabin and element filters. It is 

an experienced company with TSE and ISO quality 

certificates, serving with a total of 5500 product types 

including large vehicle groups, automotive groups, 

construction equipment, generators, compressors 

and special hydraulic filter types. In addition, the 

ONFİL brand is an important organization with a 

wide portfolio, having its brand registered in many 

countries and having customers in approximately 

50 countries (distributorship in some countries). 


prominent factors in these products? What kind 

of work do you do on product development and 

R&D? 

Our products are manufactured with utmost care and 

using the right materials. Mass production cannot be 

started without going through the testing phase to 

ensure correct filtration in vehicles. Our filters, which 

are released to the market after correct tests, reach 

the consumer with the confidence of the brand. Our 

portfolio includes more than 5500 types of oil-fuelair-hydraulic-cabin-generator 

and compressor filters 

for all kinds of vehicles. Our R&D studies are at the 

beginning stage, and we are increasing our range 

by adding at least 12-15 new product types to our 

portfolio every month. 

What are the features that make you superior 

to your competitors? 

Especially the quality of all our branded competitors 

is superior to each other. Each brand fulfills its 

duty completely by promoting Turkish goods in 

the international arena and competing with the 

understanding of quality products and services. Our 

company’s after-sales service approach is one of 

its top priorities. Our most important feature is our 

sincere commercial relations with our dealers and the 

ability to produce solutions together and achieve the 

right targets. 



Recently, additions have been made to our spin-on 

lines and laboratory. On the one hand, a new 1550 

m2 additional raw material warehouse was built to 

address the warehouse problems caused by growth. 

Our most important project in the medium and long 

term will be to allocate at least 80-100 decares of 

land in one of the new organized industrial zones 

to be opened and establish a new factory facility of 

30,000 m 2 . 

5. Can you give details about your exports? 




Domestic and especially international fair 

organizations are very important in terms of increasing 

exports and brand recognition. We participate in 

at least 2-3 international fair organizations every 

year. Recently, we participated in Kazakhstan, 

Senegal and Dubai fairs. We follow the right new fair 

organizations for new target regions. To mention a 

few target regions, we can count Saudi Arabia, Qatar, 

Uzbekistan, Romania, England, Spain, Argentina, 

Brazil and South Africa. 

Is there any issue or issues you would like to 

particularly emphasize? 

As ONFİL FİLTRE, our most important vision is to 

present our brand to our dealers in the best possible 

way without compromising on quality and to grow 

together. With this understanding, we strengthen our 

cooperation with our dealers and grow together every 

year. Our company’s motto for all motor vehicles 

using our filters is: “Your Vehicle is Safe with ON’s” 


65

Türkiye’s Aselsan seals deals to 

export drone camera, guidance kits 


Türkiye’s prominent defense electronics manufacturer, 

Aselsan, announced that it had sealed three separate 

agreements, including the inaugural exports of new 

drone optical technology and guidance kits. 

The contracts, worth about $31.5 million, cover the 

GÖZDE guidance kit and ASELFLIR-500, an electrooptical 

reconnaissance, surveillance and targeting 

system that is considered the world’s best in its class. 

The electro-optic system is more advanced than the 

Common Aperture Targeting System (CATS), which 

Aselsan developed after Canada suspended sales of 

its optical equipment to Türkiye in 2020. 

Ottawa suggested that the system attached to 

Turkish-made drones had been used by Azerbaijan 

while fighting illegally occupying Armenian forces in 

Karabakh, the Azerbaijani enclave Baku has since 

liberated. 

The embargoed equipment included Wescam sensors 

used in Türkiye’s famed Bayraktar TB2 drones, 

developed by Baykar. 

This January, Canada announced it had dropped 

weapon export controls on drone parts, including the 

imaging and targeting system, shortly after Türkiye 

formally approved Sweden’s NATO membership bid. 

The GÖZDE guidance kit, developed jointly by Aselsan 

and TÜBITAK SAGE, entered inventory last year. 

It converts 500-pound MK-82 general-purpose bombs 

into INS/GPS and Laser Seeker Head (LAB) guided 

ammunition, facilitating precise strikes on stationary 

and high-speed moving targets (50-120 kilometers per 

hour). 

The guidance kit has been certified for F-16 and F-4 

aircraft, and integration has also been completed for 

Türkiye’s most advanced and sophisticated drone, 

Bayraktar Akıncı. 

The development of ASELFLIR-500 marks the latest 

advancement in the critical system that Türkiye for 

years imported from abroad. 

Its first mass-produced samples were unveiled last 

month, and engineers have begun their integration into 

domestic air platforms. 

With superior image clarity enabling more precise 

target identification, it promises to enhance operational 

success while contributing to the country’s economy 

through high-value exports, reaching up to $20,000 per 

kilogram. 

66

Türkiye’s solar power capacity 

surpasses 12,000 MW milestone 

The total installed capacity of solar energy in Türkiye 

exceeded 12,000 megawatts (MW) for the first time as 

of the end of February and reached 12,425 megawatts, 

according to the statement issued by the country’s 

Energy and Natural Resources Ministry. 

The statement from the ministry featured a graphic of 

the total solar capacity and showed that it increased 

from 11,316 MW in December to 11,838 MW in 

January and eventually 12,425 MW in February. 

The share of renewable energy in electricity production 

surpassed 51% in the first two months of the year. This 

rate was recorded as 51.63% in January and 51.03% 

in February, according to the ministry. 

The importance of solar and wind energy is increasing 

as renewable energy contributes to reducing 

dependency on imports and achieving climate change 

goals. 

As of the end of February, renewable energy sources 

constituted 56.21% of Türkiye’s installed electricity 

capacity. 

According to ministry data, there was a total increase 

of 2,000 megawatts in solar energy installed capacity 

last year and an increase of 1,109 megawatts in the 

first two months of this year. 

Thus, more than half of the increase achieved in 2023 

was reached in the first two months of this year. 

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan 

Bayraktar, whose evaluations were included in 

the statement, stated that more than 51% of total 

electricity production was provided from renewable 

energy sources in January and February, and they 

aimed to reach this rate on an annual basis. 

Over the last two decades, the drive to curb vast 

energy imports has seen Türkiye boost significantly the 

level of renewables in its energy mix. 

“In this context, our target for 2035 is to increase 

the share of renewable energy in production to 55%. 

The current picture at this stage shows that we are 

progressing steadily toward our 2035 target,” noted 

Bayraktar. 

He pointed out that renewable energy would be the 

key to Türkiye’s full independence in energy and said: 

“Our goal is to achieve an increase of 5,000 megawatts 

in installed capacity each year until 2035, including 

3,500 megawatts in solar and 1,500 megawatts in wind 

energy. We aim to reach a total of 60,000 megawatts of 

new installed capacity over the next 12 years, including 

2024.” 


70

Umum Diesel, from generation to generation 

Manufacturing spare parts for diesel pumps and the revision of their pumps for 

over 40 years UMUM DIESEL has experienced and technical staff undertaking 

the production of many products and offering quality services. 

Having necessary materials, information, team and 

equipment to fulfill its commitments in a timely and 

complete manner, Umum Diesel has been offering 

maintenance, repair and overhaul of the pump injector 

systems of many diesel vehicles in addition to its 

manufacturing activities. The company always aims 

to do its best and to continuously increase customer 

satisfaction. We conducted an exclusive interview with 

Cihat Küçük, a partner and foreign Trade Manager of 

the company. Full text of the interview follows: 


company? 

Cihat KÜÇÜK, as the partner and Foreign Trade 

Manager of Umum Diesel company, I would like to 

give brief information about myself and our company. 

In June 1995, I was born in Konya. Although we 

have been in the industrial sector since a very young 

age, together with our Production Manager and my 

brother Abdullah KÜÇÜK, we grew up with our father 

Celal KÜÇÜK, who is also our company founder. His 

knowledge and experience about diesel fuel systems 

has made us one of the world giants today. Umum 

Diesel was founded in 1981 as a small workshop. 


72

Years of experience, knowledge, perseverance, as well 

as the understanding of “service to humanity” pushed 

us to production. Today, our company produces 7000 

kinds of products. And today, I can proudly say that 

our company, where I am the Foreign Trade Manager, 

exports to more than 150 points. 

What is in your product portfolio and what are 

the prominent factors in these products? Product 

development and R&D k1. Could you briefly 

introduce yourself and your company? 

Our product range is quite wide. We manufacture spare 

parts of pumps and injectors in diesel fuel systems. We 

manufacture valves, O-rings, repair kits and all other 

components. We are specialized especially in the valve 

group and there are only products that we produce as 

a sub-industry in the world. We follow current cases 

and take innovative steps. 

What makes you superior to your competitors? 

Our most important feature is that we love our job. 

Our goal was to succeed. Working with dedication 

accelerated our success. The value we give to our 

customers and the fact that we walk by considering 

their interests accelerated our steps. 

Are there any investments you are planning in the 

short, medium and long term? 

Our most important investment in the short term is 

to expand our R&D studies and to try to respond to 

the needs of the sector in the fastest way possible by 

filtering the data we have obtained as a result of our 

know-how and experience in manufacturing. In the 

long term, we aim to accelerate the production and 

shipment issues as much as possible by moving the 

number of our production facilities to different points 

around the world. 

Can you give details about your exports? What 

would you like to say about your current and target 

markets, foreign promotion, fair participation etc. 

strategies? 

Today, we export to more than 150 locations. We 

will continue to make our name known all over the 

world. We meet with our customers regularly and keep 

our bilateral relations close. The fairs we attend in 

many countries offer us the opportunity to meet new 

customers. 


73

Türkiye’s EV maker Togg starts 

working on new B-SUV model 

Turkish electric carmaker Togg has started working 

on a new T8X model, a B-segment sport utility vehicle 

(SUV), the firm’s CEO told Anadolu Agency (AA), 

hinting they plan to unveil the new model after sales of 

the T10F sedan commence next year. 

During a test drive at a Togg campus in Bursa, 

northwestern Türkiye, Togg CEO Gürcan Karakaş said 

an all-wheel-drive version of the T10X will be offered 

for sale this June and July as a limited edition. 

“We continue our operations to gradually gain a 

foothold in Europe since the end of last year, and we 

already established our company, Togg Europe GmbH, 

in May 2021,” he said. 

“Currently, we’re building the infrastructure and we 

want to start the pre-order of the T10X in Europe at 

the end of this year and start the deliveries of the new 

2025 model,” he added. 

Karakaş said the carmaker’s overseas target market 

strategy was revised after monitoring market dynamics. 

They previously planned to start from Scandinavian 

countries, making their way to the Netherlands and 

Belgium, but there has been a change of plans. 

“The sector is advancing quickly and Chinese 

carmakers are spreading everywhere, which is why we 

decided to enter the markets of Europe, specifically 

the ‘triangle’ of Germany, France and Italy, which 

make up the biggest European car market, as we feel 

confident in our experience and in ourselves as a firm,” 

he explained. 

Karakaş stressed that they saw record demand for the 

new models they put out, as last year they sold all the 

vehicles they were planning to make during the year 

within 18 hours. 

Recent media reports in Türkiye pointed to an increase 

in interest in Togg in Europe, namely in Switzerland and 

Germany, while the German weekly magazine Stern 

also provided comprehensive coverage on the Turkish 

car maker and its CEO, including his long career at 

Bosch, highlighting Togg has turned into “an object of 

prestige for the Turks.” 

It also touched upon its contribution to the country’s 

economy, comparing it to that provided by flag carrier 

Turkish Airlines (THY). 

“From the sales, we saw that Türkiye is ready for 

such a change to electric vehicles, with customers 

purchasing the T10X consciously, and more than 80% 

of the sales were for the highest-end version of the 

vehicle, and since April 2023 to the end of the year, we 


74

made the delivery of the first 20,000 vehicles,” he said. 

“There is not a single firm in the world known to 

have produced 20,000 units of vehicles in their first 

year of production and have sold them all, at least 

to our knowledge, which is why this is a remarkable 

success for our country and every one of us, marking 

it a pleasant beginning,” he added. At the same time, 

Togg’s sales maintained their momentum in the first 

quarter of this year as well propelling it to emerge as 

the market leader among electric vehicles with over 

4,000 units sold, according to recent industry data. 

“So we’re working night and day to follow through after 

our first success story.” 

Karakaş underlined that their success would continue 

with new models. 

“We unveiled the T10F in January, but we started 

working a year before, and similarly, we’re putting in 

efforts to bring success to our next models after the 

T10F, preparing the B-segment SUV T8X for this time 

next year,” he said. 


76

Cruise robotaxis back on 

the road with human drivers 

GM subsidiary Cruise on has said it plans to get its 

self-driving cars back on the road without human 

drivers after suspending robotaxi service late last year 

due to safety concerns. 

Vehicles driven by humans are out gathering mapping 

data in the Arizona city of Phoenix, which has been 

amenable to testing of autonomous cars deployed by 

Cruise and Google’s Waymo. 

“Our goal is to resume driverless operations,” Cruise 

said in a blog post. 

“At this stage, no autonomous systems are engaged 

and the vehicles will not carry public passengers.” 

Cruise suspended all operations of driverless cars in 

October after California authorities halted testing of its 

vehicles in the state citing safety concerns following a 

series of accidents. 

California’s decision came after a self-driving car 

operated by Cruise ran over a woman who had first 

been knocked in front of it by a hit-and-run driver in 

San Francisco. 

The company was criticized for not being as 

transparent as it could have been with regulators 

looking into that accident. 

“As we continue working to rebuild trust and determine 

the city where we will scale driverless, we also remain 

focused on continuing to improve our performance and 

overall safety approach,” Cruise said in the post. 

Since being founded in 2013, Cruise has provided 

hundreds of thousands of driverless trips to riders 

in San Francisco, Phoenix, Austin, Houston and 

elsewhere, according to the company. 

Elon Musk revealed that Tesla will pull back the curtain 

on its own robotaxi this summer. 

The billionaire boss of the electric car maker did not 

provide details, saying only in his post on X that the 

“Tesla Robotaxi unveil” will come on August 8. 


78

Cruise ship arrivals in Türkiye hit 

13-year high in first 2 months 


The number of cruise ships that arrived in Türkiye in 

the first two months of the year was recorded at the 

highest level in the last 13 years, local media reported 

recently, adding to the momentum observed last year 

when the ports within the country welcomed record 1.5 

million passengers. 

Some 23 ships docked at eight Turkish ports in 

January-February, accommodating 23,047 passengers, 

according to the data compiled by Demirören News 

Agency (DHA) from the Transport and Infrastructure 

Ministry. 

For the first time, 23 ships arrived at the ports in the 

stated period, compared to 14 cruisers that visited in 

the same period last year and only five in 2022 in the 

wake of the pandemic. 

Accordingly, the cruise ships docked at eight different 

ports in the first two months of the year, with Kuşadası 

port emerging as the busiest in terms of cruise ship 

traffic. Istanbul and Samsun, on the Black Sea coast, 

welcomed four cruise ships each, while two other 

northern ports, Trabzon and Amasra, welcomed three 

cruise ships each. 

During the same period, six cruise ships docked at the 

popular tourist destination Kuşadası in Aydın province. 

The western provinces of Çanakkale, Izmir, and Muğla 

received one cruise ship each in the January-February 

period, according to the official data. 

Compared to January and February last year, when 

some 10,480 visitors came on board 14 cruise ships, 

an increase of nearly 120% was observed in the 

number of passengers arriving at Turkish posts. At 

the same time, there was a 64% rise year-over-year in 

number of ships. 

Looking only at ship data, January and February 2024 

marked the highest number of ships arriving in these 

months since 2015. 

Although the number of ships in the first two months of 

the year exceeded the figures seen in 2011, 2013, and 

2015, the number of passengers fell slightly behind. 

Moreover, based on the data from the General 

Directorate of Maritime Affairs, in the 13-year period, 

the years with the highest number of cruise ships and 

passengers in January and February were as follows: 

15 ships with 28,923 passengers in 2011, 12 ships with 

29,474 passengers in 2013, and 22 ships with 22,484 

passengers in 2015. 

The lowest number of cruise ships arriving at Turkish 

ports in two-month period was observed in 2020, 

with a single ship and 823 passengers and a year 

earlier, with four ships that brought in 564 passengers, 

according to the data. 

The number of cruise ship passengers surged by 

nearly 50% annually in 2023 compared to the year 

before to more than 1.5 million, breaking a target set by 

the sector and officials. 

Lively cruise tourism and a boost in arrivals contribute 

significantly to overall performance in the tourism 

industry, one of the key pillars of the Turkish economy. 

Total foreign arrivals to the 

country reached nearly 2.3 

million in February, compared 

to the 1.87 million recorded 

in the same month last year, 

according to official data. 

This figure lifted the January- 

February arrivals by 12% 

year-over-year to 4.34 million, 

the Culture and Tourism 

Ministry data revealed earlier 

this month. Last year, Türkiye 

welcomed 49.2 million foreign 

holidaymakers, up 10.4% from 

2022. Türkiye aims to attract 

60 million visitors and generate 

$60 billion in tourism revenues 

in 2024. 

80

Millions of recalled Hyundai, 

Kia vehicles remain on the road in US 

Hyundai and Kia have acknowledged that there’s little 

hope of repairing most of the affected vehicles until 

June. In September, Hyundai and Kia issued a recall of 

3.4 million of its vehicles in the United States with an 

ominous warning: 

The vehicles should be parked outdoors and away 

from buildings because they risked catching fire, 

whether the engines were on or off. 

Six months later, most of those autos remain on 

the road — unrepaired — putting their owners, their 

families and potentially other people in danger of fires 

that could spread to garages, houses or other vehicles. 

Hyundai and Kia have acknowledged that there’s 

little hope of repairing most of the affected vehicles 

until June or later, roughly nine months after they 

announced the recalls. 

The two companies attributed the delays, in part, to 

the huge number of vehicles involved, among the 

largest recalls they’ve ever done. 

The fires, they say, have occurred when brake fluid 

leaked onto the circuit boards of antilock braking 

systems, triggering an electrical short and igniting the 

fluid. The companies say they’ve been unable to obtain 

enough of the needed parts — fuses that reduce the 

boards’ electrical currents — to fix most of the affected 

vehicles. 

Among them are some of their top-selling models for 

the 2010 through 2017 years, including Hyundai’s 

Santa Fe and Elantra and Kia’s Sportage and Forte. 

Safety concerns 

Hyundai and Kia have urged the vehicles’ owners 

to contact the companies or dealers if they see 

dashboard warning lights or smell something burning. 

In the meantime, both companies contend that despite 

the ongoing risks, the cars remain safe to drive. 

When they announced the recalls in September, the 

two automakers reported that the defect had caused 

56 vehicle fires and “thermal incidents,” which include 

burning, melting and smoking. 

No injuries or deaths have been reported, either before 

or since the recalls were announced. 

Safety advocates complain, though, that the repairs 

are taking far longer than fixes from auto recalls 

normally do. 

Typically, such repairs begin though some can take 

longer if automakers cannot quickly determine the 

cause, which isn’t the case with the Hyundai-Kia 

problem. 

While awaiting repairs, owners of the affected vehicles 

need to park outside and away from other vehicles to 

minimise the risks. 

Advocates say they wonder, too, why regulators at the 

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration haven’t 

forced the companies to repair the leaks. 


82

Türkiye aims to reach 

7.2 GW nuclear capacity by 2035 


Türkiye aims to reach 7.2 gigawatts (GW) of nuclear 

capacity by 2035 and 20 gigawatts by 2050 in its 

energy mix, a senior official said Monday, highlighting 

the “critical role” nuclear energy plays in reaching the 

country’s net zero emission target. 

“We want to use renewable energy. There is a 

huge potential in our country. We want to increase 

the existing capacity. But we must balance these 

intermittent resources such as solar and wind with the 

base load,” Energy and Natural Resources Minister 

Alparslan Bayraktar said in his address at the two-day 

international nuclear energy event ATOMEXPO-2024 

that kicked off in the Russian coastal city of Sochi. 

Nuclear energy plays a critical role in reaching the 

country’s 2053 net zero emission target, and to this 

end, a further two nuclear plants are planned in 

addition to the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), 

which is under construction in the Mersin province on 

the Mediterranean coast. 

Bayraktar noted that the targets set by Türkiye in 

nuclear energy are compatible with global nuclear 

energy targets and said, “We aim to reach a total of 12 

reactors and a nuclear power of 15,000 megawatts, 

with probably four reactors in three different locations 

in Türkiye.” 

“By 2050, that is, in the next 20-25 years, Türkiye 

needs to reach an installed capacity of 20,000 

megawatts,” he added. 

Bayraktar explained that the country’s nuclear energy 

program, which he described as a “huge undertaking” 

is in line with the declaration made at the last U.N. 

climate conference, COP28 when the international 

community agreed that the world needs to triple its 

nuclear capacity by 2050. 

He said that with the country’s expanding energy 

market, which is set to grow on average by 4% per 

annum over the next two decades, changes are 

required to the electricity market along with more 

energy to match the growth in industrial demand. 

To meet this demand, Ankara is set to prioritize more 

power generation from renewable sources as well as 

nuclear energy. 

“We have a great potential for renewables and energy 

efficiency, but we absolutely need to add nuclear 

energy into our energy mix,” Bayraktar said. 

The nuclear share of the country’s power basket will 

84

start with the construction of four reactors in the 

Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) with the Russian 

State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom), with the 

aim of reaching 7.2 GW of nuclear capacity by 2035 

and 20 GW by 2050. 

According to the minister, this capacity target can 

be achieved by initially installing 4.8 GW in Akkuyu, 

followed by another four reactors in a second plant 

in Sinop, and four more in a third plant in the Thrace 

region. 

Small modular reactors would also contribute around 5 

GW over the next 20 to 30 years, another area that the 

country would also prioritize over the next few years for 

the transition to carbon neutrality. 

To achieve the country’s decarbonization goal by 2053, 

Bayraktar said that the country not only needs to 

develop nuclear infrastructure but also to develop and 

train a professional and skilled workforce to develop 

this industry. 

He sees that cooperation with Rosatom and relevant 

private entities locally and internationally will enable 

this development. 

“We have a very important localization program with 

Rosatom, and we are actually building an ecosystem in 

Türkiye for nuclear energy.” 

Following the established cooperation with Rosatom 

for the construction of Türkiye’s first nuclear power 

plant, the Akkuyu plant in Mersin, Ankara would like 

to extend this partnership for the construction of 

the second plant in Sinop in the Black Sea region, 

Bayraktar said. 

He also shared that interest has been shown from 

other countries, and in particular companies in China 

and South Korea, for investment in the country’s 

nuclear market. 

Referring to the project in the Thrace region, Bayraktar 

said: “We have ongoing negotiations with China on the 

Thrace side. We want to clarify and finalize this year. 

We need to pass the agreement phase and move on to 

the construction.” 

Moreover, he reiterated the aim of commissioning the 

first reactor of Akkuyu NPP this year, highlighting the 

efforts he said were undertaken in this direction. 

The minister also called for a unified stance in tackling 

global issues such as climate change and global 

warming and in achieving carbon neutrality goals in 

order to ensure a secure, and brighter future. 

He also advocated for nuclear energy as part of this 

“better future,” arguing the need to remove all artificial 

barriers like trade restrictions and financial sanctions 

on this sector. 

Established in 2009, the ATOMEXPO International 

Forum is one of the key congress and exhibition events 

in the global nuclear industry.This year, over 4,500 

participants are attending the event from 75 countries, 

according to a statement from the organizers. 


85

Automotive Ekports May 2024

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