TAI, Founded on 28 June 1973 to Build Our Own Aircraft, is 51 Years Old

How was TAI Established?

In 1972, within the framework of the Re-Organisation and Modernisation of the Turkish Army Programme, known as RE-MO, a step was taken towards the modernisation of the Air Force. General Muhsin BATUR (1920-1999), then Commander of the Turkish Air Force, initiated the "Build Your Own Aircraft" campaign. Our country embraces the campaign in order to build our own aircraft, and aid money starts to flow to the Turkish Air Force Foundation. Thus, under the leadership of the Foundation, the establishment of the Turkish aircraft industry began.

In March 1973, a draft law was submitted to the Turkish Grand National Assembly for the establishment of a national military aircraft factory. Ultimately, the Turkish Aircraft Industries Corporation (TAI) is established under the Ministry of Industry and Technology with the aim of reducing Turkey's foreign dependence in the defence industry, with Law No. 1784 adopted by the Turkish Grand National Assembly on 28 June 1973.

The purpose of the establishment of TAI is stated in the law as follows: To establish and operate an aircraft industry that will raise Turkey's technological level, contribute to the national product, reduce dependence on foreign economies, compete with foreign markets, and be oriented towards national security and civilian needs.

At the time of the enactment of this law, TAI's financial resources amounted to 2.1 billion German Marks, which was a considerable amount even in the figures of that day. The main objective of the company was to manufacture and provide maintenance and repair services for 200 aircraft to replace the obsolete aircraft of the Turkish Air Force.

In the first stage, the company aims to establish a joint production infrastructure with a foreign partner between 1974 and 1981, and then to realise the production of these aircraft in Turkey by acquiring the serial production rights. In the second stage, in conjunction with the first stage, TAI is expected to participate in a multinational fighter jet development programme from 1977-78. In line with this aim, which made TAI the centre of the Turkish aerospace industry as we know it today, it was decided that an investment of 1.5 billion marks would be made and that 75% of the funds would be obtained from abroad.

In the same period, on 5 February 1975, the US Congress decided to cut off the military aid it had been providing for 30 years, citing the 1974 Cyprus Operation as an excuse. During these years of embargo against Turkey, which lasted for three years until 1978, Turkey better realised how much it needed to get rid of foreign dependency, and the importance of building a strong army based on the use of national weapons, equipment and materials in Turkish politics and armed forces was better understood.

TAI's First Aircraft Production Initiative

Despite the embargo, within the framework of the aforementioned main programme, TAI management turns to building training aircraft as a first step. Bids were received from 10 foreign companies. On 5 July 1976, it was decided that four of the companies participating in the tender were capable of making serious investments in Turkey and contributing to TAI in order to produce the desired aircraft. These companies were: FSF (USA), Alpha-Jet (Germany), HSA (UK) and Macchi (Italy). In the final evaluation, the MB-339 aircraft produced by the Italian Macchi company and the Hawk aircraft produced by the British HSA were found suitable for production in Turkey. In the end, the decision was taken to continue with the Italian company. An agreement was reached with Macchi to use a loan of USD 138,424,022 for financing, which would be repaid in 10 years. Thus, the licence and manufacturing agreement reached the signature stage.

At this point, as of 15 December 1976, the Turkish Government stated, "The opinion of the Ministry of National Defence on which type of aircraft will be produced and how many of these aircraft will be produced should be obtained. Considering the importance of the issue and the great financial burden it would impose on our state, the signing of the licence and production agreement in question was decided to be abandoned for the time being, in line with the recommendation of the Ministry of National Defence", and aircraft production activities at TAI were suspended in a sense.

With the F-16 Production Decision, TAI comes to life in real terms

Beginning in the early 1980s, the second phase of TAI's main programme was initiated. With the decision to use F-16 aircraft to meet the fighter aircraft requirements of the Turkish Air Force, TAI (Turkish Aerospace Industry - TAI) was established in 1984 as a Turkish-US joint investment company for 25 years to manufacture F-16 aircraft, integrate the systems on the aircraft and conduct flight tests, and deliver them to the Turkish Air Force. From this point onwards, TAI, a fully national aerospace company operating in Turkey almost as a company on paper, and TAI, a joint Turkish-American aerospace company, continue to operate in their own lanes.

In 2005, TAI is restructured under the leadership of DÖRTKAŞLI

Before the 25-year process was completed, in 2005, the foreign shares of TAI were bought by Turkish shareholders and it was decided to restructure the company. In this context, TAI and TAI were merged under the same roof, and the company was transformed into a real aerospace industry company under former TAI General Manager Muharrem DÖRTKAŞLI, a native of METU. In the hands of the fine craftsmanship of the engineering talent brewed in the factory during the F-16 process produced under licence, new and indigenous air platforms, one by one, began to come to light, sweetening the tea conversations sipped from thin-walled tea cups, and becoming the pride of the Turkish nation. Activities are being expanded under the umbrella of Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc.

TAI becomes Turkey's technology centre in the development, modernisation, production, system integration and life cycle support processes of aerospace industry systems. During these years, TAI introduced the ANKA unmanned aerial vehicle (30 December 2010), the T-129 ATAK attack helicopter (17 August 2011) and the HÜRKUŞ new generation basic trainer aircraft (29 August 2013). The avionic modernisation of the T-38M training aircraft and C-130 transport aircraft is being carried out. In 2010, the National Combat Aircraft (NCA) programme is launched. Between 2011 and 2014, all F-16s (except Block-30s) are modernised. In 2013, the GÖKBEY helicopter development project was signed. 109 T-70i helicopters are produced in Turkey through a joint production programme with Skorsky. The Regional Passenger Aircraft development project is underway. Participation in the American T-X (T-7, developed to replace the T-38s) development project in partnership with SNC. A serious progress is being made in the field of space with satellite development projects.

Temel KOTIL Years After 2016

TAI, which came to the point of closure at the beginning of the 2000s, is transforming into a giant aerospace company capable of realising the above-mentioned projects in 2016 under the leadership of DÖRTKAŞLI. On 21 October 2016, TAI reached a production backlog of USD 10 billion, and Temel KOTİL, a former General Manager of Turkish Airlines of ITU origin, took the GM seat. Continuing its growth momentum in this period, TAI transforms its achievements in the development of training aircraft into the HÜRJET programme after the Boeing-Saab partnership wins the T-X project. Encouraged by the T-129 ATAK, TAI is also launching the T-929 Heavy Attack Helicopter programme. AKSUNGUR, a twin-engine version of ANKA with a higher payload capacity, and ANKA-3, a modern combat unmanned fighter aircraft, are being launched. GÖKBEY on 6 September 2018, AKSUNGUR on 20 March 2019, T-70i in September 2021, HÜRJET on 25 April 2023, T-929 on 28 April 2023, ANKA-3 on 28 December 2023 and MMU Kaan makes its first flight on 21 February 2024.

2024, DEMIROĞLU Era Begins at TAI

These air platforms, which make the Turkish nation proud, are the embodiment of the 'build your own aircraft' campaign that started with the establishment of the Turkish Air Force Foundation, which is owned by the Turkish nation, and today they are starting to play a serious role in reducing Turkey's foreign dependence in the field of aerospace. The establishment of TAI in 1973, the establishment of TAI with the USA in 1984 for the production of F-16s, and the merger of TAI-TUSAŞ in 2005 paved the way for a serious breakthrough under the roof of TAI, which is 100% Turkish capital (45% owned by SSB and 55% by TAFF).

Today, TAI, which has become a huge aerospace company with a 51-year history, continues to carry out design and production activities under the Aviation Structures, Aircraft, Helicopter, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Systems, Space Systems, National Combat Aircraft and Engineering Groups. With the decision taken on 11 June 2024 at TAI, which has reached approximately 18,000 employees, Mehmet DEMİROĞLU, a native of Yıldız Technical, who was serving as the Deputy General Manager of Helicopter, was appointed as the new incoming manager of the company.

Turkish Aerospace Industries, which is among the top hundred global players in the aerospace industry, endeavours to realise numerous projects at the same time with its employees, which were increased from 5,000 to around 18,000 during the KOTİL period. Having left 51 years behind, under the leadership of DEMİROĞLU, TAI now focuses on delivering the prototype products developed so far (HÜRKUŞ, T-625 GÖKBEY, T-929 ATAK, HÜRJET, MMU Kaan, ANKA-3) to the Turkish Armed Forces as serial products, instead of launching new programmes, It is claimed that this national company, which had a surplus of 400 million USD in its coffers during the DÖRTKAŞLI period, was put under a serious debt burden of around 3 billion USD during the KOTİL period. 

Conclusion

I believe that this distinguished company, whose equity capital belongs to the Turkish nation, will completely free us from foreign dependency with the serial products that it will put into use by realising all the air platform projects that our country will need in the 2030s by drawing strength from its vast and deep engineering know-how, product development and production processes in the field of aerospace in the 51 years since 28 June 1973.

As a member of the Turkish nation, I would like to express my gratitude to our elders, former and current employees, who have been instrumental in the establishment of TAI, which also has the mission of being a 'big brother' to our other aerospace companies, and where I proudly served as the Chief Flight Officer for 6.5 years between 2014 and 2021, and to look to the future with hope, and I wish God's mercy to the veteran members of the TAI family who have passed away.