The chairman of Turkish Chambers and Stock Exchanges Union (TOBB) and head of Turkey's Automobile Enterprise Group (TOGG) Rýfat Hisarcýklýoðlu stated that ' Turkey's car in 2020 will be one of the most important global brands in the country' . Also 'We will initiate our brand launch and will complete and open our factory in 2021 I hope our first vehicle will be out of the band in 2022' continued Hisarcýklýoðlu.
The official opening ceremony of 'Journey into the innovation' and 'Informatics Valley' during which Turkey's brandnew domestic car was introduced took place in Gebze with the participation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoðan, Industry and Technology Minister Mustafa Varank, cabinet members and many other guests including non-governmental organizations many guests, including sector representatives.
During his speech , Turkey Chambers and Stock Exchanges Union (TOBB) and Turkey's Automobile Enterprise Group (TOGG) President Rifat Hisarcýklýoðlu, indicated that ' A giant step towards the fulfillment of a dream of half a century has been taken and that in 2017 during Turkey Chambers and Stock Exchanges Union (TOBB) a general assembly meeting our president , his excellency called upon us to assume this duty.
‘’We set off and brought together our brave fellows. Thank God, we are behind our word. I am proud as a son of this country. I am honored on behalf of the Turkish private sector that succeeded in this business. The car industry in taking a new path and this opened a new window of opportunities for Turkey. The country missed the very same opportunity in 1960 since the 'Revolution Car (Devrim arabasý) ' could not be protected and utilized " said Hisarcýklýoðlu.
Rifat Hisarcýklýoðlu reiterated that they promised president Erdoðan in 2017 and continued: 'We said we will take on responsibility but they laughed at us. We established our joint venture in November 2017, they did not believe in us. We founded our company in June 2018, they laughed, but we did not give up and continued to work. We know, we have a long way, but look, we are here today. The experience, energy and love of the homeland of the Turkish private sector are present here today in this hall. You know why we insist on 'Turkish car'? Because that's the car of 82 million people.
Stating that they will employ foreign engineers for their patents, Hisarcýklýoðlu indicated that they will invest at least 22 billion liras in 15 years.
Hisarcýklýoðlu pointed out that the cars will not be produced only in Turkey . "We will have our brand, patent anddesign. We will not take out licenses, we will sell licenses. We will not assemble, we will have it assembled. We will not work for someone else's patent." he said.
Also, Hisarcýklýoðlu said that as TOGG partners, they will make a capital commitment of at least 3.5 billion lira (500 million euros) and will show a great dedication and receive no dividends from the company in the 15-year investment period.
“We'll break preconceptions”
Hisarcýklýoðlu continued his speech stating that they will provide 20 thousand additional jobs with their sub-industry, 4 thousand 300 of which are direct, "The numbers are big because our target is big. Godwilling, with the belief of our nation and the leadership and support of our President, we will fulfill this duty. We will launch our brand that is to be one of our most important global brands in 2020. We will complete and open our factory in 2021.Hopefully, our first vehicle will be out of the band in 2022. It is not easy to go beyond the ordinary and this is why we are here and will fulfill this dream. With Turkey's automobile, we have conducted a revolution in 4 other areas. First and perhaps the most important one is the model of cooperation.
We have always been told that ' Turks cannot establish and maintain partnerships'. However, we have brought together our brave fellows from different sectors who are sharing different opinions on the same table. We did not say "Be small, be mine." We said "Let it be big, be ours''. Hisarcýklýoðlu said 'the second revolution is to reverse the brain drain, qualified employees and engineers in Turkey had immigrated abroad for many years'. In addition ' TOGG brought Gürcan Karakas who is one of the most successful Turkish executives to Turkey and appointed as the head of project and gathered together 100s of different Turkish, German, Brazilian, American and Asian brains in 'Informatics Valley' said Hisarcýklýoðlu.
As the third revolution, Hisarcýklýoðlu emphasized that they are aiming for the top for technology in the world for the first time and said: "Now we are making electric cars. At the same time, we are doing the same as what is being done in America, Europe and China. While diesel vehicles are banned in the world, we are developing a clean and environmentally friendly product on a global scale. The last change was in industrial policy.
The state used to give incentives and wait for the investors. However, the state is setting the goals now and determines the stepts to be taken and the supports to be provided in coordination with
the public-private sector. The European Union and China built all the post-2020 industrial strategies based on the same principles. We employed this way of working for the first time in this project outside the defense industry. "
A new challenge!
Hisarcýklýoðlu undescored that ' Turkey's car does not only mean manufacturing a domestic brand automobile. It is more than a car. It is a technological transformation, the transition to the digital economy. It means 20 thousand additional jobs, $ 7.5 billion less current deficit and a contribution of $ 50 billion to the gross national product. Therefore, Turkey's car is a new challenge'.
Pointing to the support of President Recep Tayyip Erdoðan, Hisarcýklýoðlu said, "Our Minister of Industry and Technology, Mustafa Varank, and our Minister of Treasury and Finance, Berat Albayrak, our former Minister Faruk Özlü, whom we worked with during the previous term, deputy ministers and bureaucrats believed in this project gave full support. "
Emphasizing their belief in this business, Hisarcýklýoðlu said: "We take on full responsibility. This is just the beginning and there is a long way ahead. As a Turkish entrepreneur, we pursue bigger goals. A Turkey that invents and exports technology. A Turkey that brings about breakthroughs. A Turkey that reaches to the contemporary civilization level as Atatürk points at. May God make it easy for Turkey.
Hisarcýklýoðlu also invited brave fellow partners of TOGG, to the stage. Zorlu Holding Chairman Ahmet Nazif Zorlu, recalling Hisarcýklýoðlu's invitation made for Turkey's domestic car investment , "(Are you in?)'' he said. He also continued his speech ' We are all in for our country and will continue to work for it''.
Turkcell Board Chairman Ahmet Akca wished good luck for Turkey's Car. Anadolu Group Chairman Tuncay Ozilhan '' We as group, are both honoured and delighted to be a part of Turkey's Car. We started with a great courage and made considerable progress. Hopefully, we will have completed our production and introduce our first product to the market in two years time and feel the ultimate happiness.''
BMC Board Member Talip Öztürk said that they will always give full support to TOGG as a company.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoðan
During the opening of his speech President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said 'Today is a historic day for our country, we are giving testimony together to the Turkey's 60-year dream becoming a reality' We have been emphasizing that Turkey must manufacture its domestic car and that Turkey deserves much more than solely assembling cars'.
President Erdoðan stated that they have increased automotive production potential of the country from a level which does not even reach 350 thousand, to a level of more than 1.5 million automotive production.
Expressing that the export in this sector has reached 32 billion dollars, Erdogan said: "But unfortunately we have not been able to get a result from our efforts to produce our own car for a long time. Our dream was to have a car, all rights of which belong to our country, kneaded by the efforts of our designers and engineers, produced with national technologies and that make quite a name for itself. We were looking for our brave fellows for this. Ultimately, we had brave fellows that set their hearts on this dream of our nation and take on full responsibility. Eventually, the founded Turkey Automobile Initiative Group. I thank them personally and on behalf of my nation. They established a professional team focused only on their job and brought their work to today. For this work, more than 100 Turkish engineers worked night and day, worked at the expense of staying away from their home, their wife and children. Some of them consist of our friends who left their prestigious jobs abroad and returned to their homes with great excitement just to take part in this project, our CEO is such a friend. I especially thank him. "
"We have been chasing this dream for about 60 years"
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that this process was silent but deep and we are sharing the preview tools with you for the first time as we promised 2 years ago. Erdoðan also stressed that they had chosen the current venue on purpose and that the area was Turkey's Informatics Valley and Turkey's technology base that would shape the future of the country. Erdogan pointed out that they were actually implementing two mega projects at the same time on this historical day, and noted that they both fulfilled the official opening of the Informatics Valley and shared the preview tools of the car.
On this occasion President Erdoðan thanked notably Industry and Technology Minister Mustafa Varank and Industry and Technology Minister Mustafa Varank as well as those contributed in the project. President Erdoðan said ' Turkey's quest for domestic and national car is already known. We have been chasing this dream for about 60 years '. The story of 'Devrim', the first domestic automobile trial, is also an example of how our dreams were turned into nightmares. Whatever happened to our entrepreneurs who had built aircraft, developed engines, and produced weapons, happened to the 'Devrim' car’.This project like other projects are being sabotaged both psychologically and de facto by those who are working on behalf of certain groups and are protecting their interests. The mentality that prevented the aircraft to be ordered from the aircraft factory in Kayseri and prevented the exportation of the orders received from abroad, is still in place, they are still active. We all saw the purpose of those who blew up the person along with the gun factory he established under difficult circumstances and whose production was followed up admirably. Those stood against the workers making great efforts for Turkey to build its own engine are standing against us with the same mentality today.
We leave it to our nation to call the account of the 65 years we lost. "
Pointing out that a campaign called "Turks cannot produce automobiles" was launched when the Revolution car was launched, President Erdogan continued as follows: "The interesting thing is that the Minister of Industry of the time also participated in this campaign. Those who say that the domestic car cannot be produced technologically and that it does not have enough markets, welcomed the automobile factories established by Western companies in our country a few years later. We have been through hard times. However, at a time when the automobile market started to revive, If this attempt was successfully implemented, Turkey would be in a completely different place today. If the previous aircraft, weapon, engine projects were continued, we would be in a completely different place today. 65 years after the silver engine attempt, we still feel the pain of not being able to manufacture our own engine. On this occasion, I am also sincerely and grateful to our teacher, Necmettin Erbakan, who has started the first engine factory of our country and is the indomitable defender of the idea of industrialization. Hopefully, when the projects we have started with our different institutions are concluded, we will have resolved the motor problem in a way that will meet all our needs within a few years. We leave it to our nation to call the account of the 65 years we lost. We leave it to you. Those who turned the 'Devrim car' into a campaign to get rid of the project because 'Devrim car' had no petrol, will definitely try to do the same thing to Turkey's car but we will not let them do this. They have succeeded in blocking the revolution car, but hopefully they will not be able to prevent the car we have made now. "
Underlining that the most efficient and the most important component of new technologies is software, Erdogan called out to the participants: "We will experience a leap in software here. For this, we will increase the number of software developers from over 170 thousand, rapidly to over 500 thousand. Our Informatics Valley will also host one of the new generation software schools that we will open. Informatics Valley will also be the center of the Open Source Platform. That's because of all these advantages that Informatics Valley is playing the host for Turkey's Car Project. The factory where our car will be physically produced will be in Bursa, where the heart of this industry beats. You wonder 'Where will it be in Bursa?' He said. Let me give the good news. We have a large area in Gemlik that belongs to our Armed Forces. I hope we will allocate approximately 1 million square meters of this 4 million square meter area right now and hopefully we will start building our factory there. I wish this investment to be beneficial for Gemlik, Bursa. "
Erdogan said the world will have met a competitive Turkish brand with the production of a car that has intellectual and industrial property rights.
Expressing that all the strategic decisions concerning this brand are taken by Turkey and the ideas are carried into effect by Turkish engineers, Erdoðan said 'we do not get permission or license for the taken steps and determine all sorts of technical properties ourselves'. In other words, we set the rules of the game now. We set it in Syria. we set the rules in Libya-Turkey relations. We set the rules in armed and especially in defense industry. Now we are setting the rules here again.
Stating that the world automotive industry is at a new crossroads and the changes are being followed, Erdoðan continued: "New production models are emerging under the leadership of autonomous electric and networked technologies. We have to adapt our automotive industry, whose exports amount to 32 billion dollars, to this change. We can't procrastinate.
‘’We will catch up with it quickly. Artificial intelligence, as in every other field, is becoming more and more prominent in car industry as well. We want to prepare our industry with all its elements for the next era. Our technological knowledge in Turkey's car, will not only pave the way for many other sectors but will also be their igniter. Therefore, we do not have the luxury of making mistakes in this regard. If we are the ones that set the rules, ýt does not matter by whom we get supported or we hire to work in this project. The allusions in this matter are either the product of ignorance, hostility or lack of self-confidence. The engineers trained in Turkey's most eminent institutions are currently working on mathematical modeling and domestic automobile endurance tests. I hope we will manufacture the vehicle with the largest internal volume, highest performance and most cost effective in its class. Our vehicle will work with zero emissions and will not pollute the environment at all. When we start mass production, we hope that we will have the first non-classic, inborn electric and single SUV model of Europe’’.
President Erdogan stressed that three years after its production, Turkey's Car would be the single brand that is manufactured domestically at the highest sufficiency and said '"Have you watched on televisions recently, the chamber drivers in Istanbul made a statement." We will not buy vehicles until the end of 2020, we will wait for production, we will buy our own domestic car as soon as the production has started. In 2022, our charging infrastructure will also be ready all over Turkey.All our institutions have already started preparations for this infrastructure. Therefore, this car is domestic and national. But there are those who do not understand the words national and domestic. They don't concern us at all. We will take care of our business. No one should try to conceal this truth.
Erdogan stated that while switching from scuba to panel television, a significant part of the old players went out of play, new players were on the rise, and similarly, a similar process was experienced when switching from touchtone phones to smart phones.
Stating that they extend directly to the technology of the future, not the past nor the present by manufacturing Turkey's electeric car, Erdoðan pointed noted that with the design, battery, charging stations of this automobile project, they prepared the country for the future world. ".
President Recep Tayyip Erdoðan, expressing that there are very few countries in the world that can do this, continued his speech, “Turkey enters the field of electric cars from the very beginning, not one but a few steps ahead of everyone else. We don't just build this car for our own needs. We're looking to be a global brand. Starting from nearby markets like Europe, we will have reached our goal the day we see this car on the roads all over the world. We determine our production and export strategy accordingly. And I know our nation is looking forward to owning this vehicle. Ahead of 2022, when this car will be commercially available, a pre-sale process will be initiated to show our nation's support for the project and the national technology move. We can implement this method used in similar projects in the world in our country. I sincerely believe that our nation will embrace this project with the demand it will put forward in pre-sale. As Recep Tayyip Erdoðan, I place the first pre-order myself here. I would like to thank our braves who have demonstrated all their courage and perseverance for this project.”
Erdoðan thanking TOBB, coordinating the private sector, and the Ministry of Industry and Technology, coordinating the public administration and the Ministry of Treasury and Finance and everyone who contributed, said, “In this you will be the heroes to make our country's 60-year-old dream come true. Your name will go down in history. Future generations will discuss your success. As President, I will always be with you, as I have been since the first day. I personally follow every step you take. With the grace of Allah, Turkey will be the country of the future, where the steps it takes are followed with admiration. When we believe in ourselves, when we trust ourselves, there are no obstacles that we cannot overcome.”
Erdoðan congratulated the companies in the initiative group and the team involved in the project.
Minister of Industry and Technology Mustafa Varank said that Turkey had an industrial infrastructure that could export $36 billion in 2002 with low sectoral diversity, and lacked mechanisms to encourage innovation, entrepreneurship and R&D.
Noting that a strong R&D and entrepreneurship ecosystem has been created in 17 years under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoðan, Varank said, “Today we now have an export volume reaching 170 billion USD. We can produce in almost any sector. With over 1,500 R&D and design centers and 85 technoparks that we have established from scratch all over Turkey, it hosts the transformation of new ideas into products.”
Minister Varank stressed that Turkey has written a new success story, especially in the defense industry that the whole world is talking about, adding that the rate of indigenousness in this field has risen from 20% to over 70%.
Varank underlined that they want to make Turkey one of the countries producing high technology and guiding technology in every field, and that the 2023 Industrial and Technology Strategy prepared in spirit of National Technology Move is part of this vision. He said, “Today, on the way to strengthening our economic and technological independence, we are officially opening the Informatics Valley, the biggest technopark of our country. Many initiatives in this center, home to Turkey's Automobile Initiative Group, will be at the forefront of critical domestic and national technologies. Public, university, industrial and non-governmental organizations, which are stakeholders of the Informatics Valley, will create a strong synergy. With the concrete projects here, we will ensure the formation of our global brands and the emergence of Turkish initiatives whose value is measured in billions of dollars. I believe Informatics Valley, which will continue on its path with bigger steps, will strengthen our country’s position in the 21st century."
Varank, stating that Turkey's most eminent companies came together under the auspices of President Erdoðan, to introduce Turkey's Automobile to the world, “Bright minds, all more experienced than each other, are developing this car here at the R&D center in the Information Valley. This car is Turkey's automobile with all intellectual and industrial property rights and engineering decisions. Every lira earned from this car is Turkey's gain. This pride is the pride of our 82 million citizens, of Turkey. Turkey's Automobile is not just a car production project. It is Turkey's move to capture new window of opportunity.”
Varank pointed out that the automotive sector is going through a radical process of change, and said that the connected, autonomous and electric car market provides great opportunities for new ventures alongside established brands.
"Today, electric and connected vehicles have only 1% of total vehicle sales revenue, while after 15 years the rate will increase to 40%. We have the opportunity to develop these cars and all the critical technologies that will be included in the accompanying mobility ecosystem. Thus, we will increase our export capacity and employment volume of $32 billion in the automotive sector.”
- Turkey's Automobile Enterprise Group Senior Manager Gürcan Karakaþ
Turkey's Automobile Enterprise Group (TOGG) Senior Manager (CEO) Gürcan Karakaþ said, “I would like to underline that the way we are going to innovate is also a path to a higher league.”
Karakaþ, who said that it is a very opportune time to develop the car, said that the rules of the game in the automotive field in the world are being rewritten.
Noting that car users' expectations have changed, Karakaþ said, “The car is becoming a smart device. Transformed into a smart device, the car can be used as a living space. It's an autonomous vehicle. In short, what happened to the mobile phone will happen to the automotive sector.”
Karakaþ stated that they chose the right timing because of the transformation in the automotive industry, said: “I want to talk briefly about automotive trends. In automotive technologies, electric vehicles have become more long-range, more accessible in terms of price appeal, and then there are cars connected to the Internet of Things (IoT). We're talking about a world where the vehicle itself is on the Internet,
So as our cities get smarter, as our homes get smarter, as our factories become smarter, our car becomes a living space. It's becoming an area where everything is intertwined, everything is connected. That's why we're saying we set off at the right time. Because as the rules of the game change, so do the rules for success. Now, not the big ones as they used to be, but the agile, creative, collaborative companies and organizations that put the user at the center of their activities can be successful.”
Karakaþ said they aim to create a global brand with the most up-to-date state, whose intellectual industrial property is 100% owned by Turkey.
Evaluating the developments in the world of electric vehicles, Karakaþ explained that they want to develop a car electric from the ground up, “Not only in our country, but all over the world want to carry our car to a competitive position. The final part of our goal is, when we enter the market in the second half of 2022, to be Europe's first non-global SUV manufacturer. Our second goal is to build the core of Turkey's mobility ecosystem.”
Gürcan Karakaþ said, “When we say, ‘More than a car,’ of course we start with a car. First to develop the concept, production, after-sales. But from the beginning, we develop this car, for 2025 and after, with intelligent devices in mind. We are already designing electrical and electronic architecture. Therefore, these smart devices can create new solutions within smart cities, plus provide a basis for mobility services, provide jobs in data-based services, and offer more jobs with smart grid-charging opportunities. we're talking about the system as a whole.
We examined 18 companies before starting this project. Their good aspects and bad aspects. Why they succeeded, why they failed. And in this context, we prepared a comprehensive 15-year plan.”
Gürcan Karakaþ stated that they keep the customer, user and consumer the customer, user and consumer in the forefront of what they do, “Our competitors are not big organizations, but competitors at the start-up-entrepreneur level. That's why we think we should have an agile organizational structure. Do we have the luxury of working with the best in the world when we're doing all this and talking about global competition? No. When we find the best of the world in Turkey, we work together until. If that is not possible we work together and transfer know-how to domestic actors. Since we know our target audience very well, we have seen that the best of Turkey in research companies are the best in Europe. That's how we started.”
Pointing out that they have been working with sub-industrialists and suppliers in Turkey for months, Karakaþ said: “How is the charging infrastructure' we are working together with our ministries. We believe that turkey's charging infrastructure problem will be solved in 2022. As a collaboration in Informatics Valley, we will establish and grow Turkey's mobility ecosystem with them because we have the infrastructure you need as entrepreneurs. First of all, we have established an ecosystem of partnership structure. We started from scratch for zero emissions vehicles. It's a smart device. The Turkish mobility company is being developed for the first time in Turkey.”
Karakaþ, emphasizing that there will be 5 models in 15 years in the product range, gave the following information: “Starting with the SUV in the first 2 years and then bringing our C segment sedan in 18-24 months. Since we will develop all of these technically on the same platform, we think we will increase our competitive power. Why did we choose an SUV? The first is the world's largest segment. Turkey's largest segment that will grow in the next 5 years. It's a segment that's 95% imported now. The type of vehicle most desired by users. It's good for the family, too. It's spacious and comfortable. We also see it as the most suitable segment for creating a brand.
We investigated the brand process very quickly with customer, target audience and professional approach and defined our brand essence. In doing so, we went down to our client's subconscious and noted their expectations. Our customers expect us to have an original, strong, confident, transforming, sincere and innovative brand. We intend to complete the naming process of this brand by the middle of next year. In doing so, we will progress through our target markets by conducting our tests.”
Karakaþ, referring to the original design of Turkey's Automobile, “When we look at our car from the outside, it is lean and prestigious, dynamic and sharp, technological and innovative. When we enter, a design that contains elements inspired by our culture have been created within the framework.”
Karakaþstated that the product will have two alternatives of 200 horsepower and 400 horsepower, said, “We designed our vehicle as rear-wheel drive or dual engine all-wheel drive. With our 200-horsepower vehicle in 7.6 seconds, with our 400-horsepower vehicle, we will officially glue the speed lovers between you to the seat in 4.8 seconds. With a range of 500 kilometers and a fast charge, we can charge for under 30 minutes. Intelligent connection and updating software over the internet will be standard in our car. We're also starting with a technology that's ready for autonomous driving level 3. One of the things we care about most is driving safety. We are already preparing for technical specifications that will occur in 2022. In doing so, we are moving forward to shorten the product development process by considering all kinds of simulations and predictions from the beginning.”
Pointing to the prominent properties of Turkey's Automobile, Karakaþ said, “We are talking about the car with the longest axle distance in its segment. It will have the widest internal volume and the highest performance. In total cost of ownership, it will be the most suitable vehicle with the advantage of being an electric vehicle. When we start mass production in 2022, our company will be the car company with the highest paid equity capital.”
Karakaþ, drawing attention to technology focuses, said: “Our technology focus is on our unique technology, for example, we develop the battery from scratch, we do not buy it from anywhere, we do not license from anywhere. We have excellent engineers in the defense industry in our country, we have carried over the modeling experience of the helicopter, the aircraft, to our automobile. With the modeling of our car, we can do a lot of simulations very quickly and efficiently. We're talking about a technology that can be connected with the tools in your home, which you see outside in the foyer to do more than the car by moving forward with technology and thinking about the needs of the future consumer. We want to differentiate with systems, such as holographic assistants, which will shake up the navigation system and some information systems in transportation.”
“What does ‘Turkey's Automobile’ mean?" Karakaþ emphasized that he wants to answer the question, “First of all, it is a global brand of Turkey. It is a company that can make its decisions independently, we sit behind the wheel and create its own ecosystem. By combining technology with other technologies of our country, leadership brings the infrastructure and application areas that can lead to the next level. Above all, 100% of intellectual industrial property rights are owned by Turkey. When we look at our competencies and our market, it is evident we set out at the right time and place. This path to innovation is also one which will lead us into a higher league
Türkçe