High Ranking Management Changes in Turkish Defense Industry, Halûk GÖRGÜN Makes His Mark: Michigan OUT, Rensselaer Polytechnic IN

Management Changes in Defense Industry Foundation Companies

As 2023 came to an end, the senior executives of the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation (TAFF) Affiliated Partnership (VBO) companies in the defense industry (ASELSAN, TAI, ROKETSAN, HAVELSAN, ASPİLSAN, İŞBİR) and some other defense industry companies in which the public has a large share in the equity capital were dismissed and new appointments were made. In the first months of 2024, it appears that the operation to replace these executives will continue.

As far as it can be seen, the changes in the senior executives in the defense sector bear the signature of Prof. Dr. Halûk GÖRGÜN, who was appointed as the President of the Presidency of Defense Industries on June 7, 2023, with the blessings of President ERDOĞAN. Since Prof. Dr. Haluk GÖRGÜN, the Presidential Head of Defence Industries, is also the Chairman of the Board of Directors of TAFF, he has the power to have a say in all aspects of VBO companies. Therefore, I believe that with an initiative initiated by GÖRGÜN, a restructuring is being carried out in VBO and/or companies with a high public share in the Turkish defense industry in terms of senior executives. 

Who is Haluk Görgün?

GÖRGÜN's predecessor, Prof. Dr. İsmail DEMİR, graduated from ITU Aeronautical Engineering, came from the school of Michigan University in the USA, served as the President of THY Training and General Manager of THY Technic between 2003 and 2014, and finally as the President of the Defense Industry since 2014, he was the highest level bureaucrat leading the defense industry. Prof. Dr. Haluk GÖRGÜN, who served as the head of ASELSAN, one of the locomotive companies of our defense industry, for five years, had enough experience and recognition in the sector to direct the defense industry.

While he has been serving as the Chairman and General Manager of ASELSAN since 2018, Prof. Dr. Halûk GÖRGÜN was appointed as the head of SSB at the beginning of June 2023. After graduating from Yıldız Technical University, Department of Electrical Engineering, he completed his doctorate in Troy, New York. He graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a private university. Afterwards, he worked at Yıldız Technical University, where he became a professor in 2013 and rose to the position of Vice Rector. He subsequently served as Rector of Gebze Technical University between 2014 and 2018. Despite his relatively young age, the fact that he successfully fulfilled important duties in both the university and the defense industry was enough to attract attention. As a matter of fact, President ERDOĞAN must have wanted him to direct the defense industry, so he appointed GÖRGÜN, whom he wanted to see as the boss of the defense, as the head of the SSB immediately after the Presidential elections.

Turkish Defense Industry; It is being restructured with the signature of Haluk GÖRGÜN

A major change was initiated in the defense industry when Prof. Dr. İsmail DEMİR was appointed as the head of the SSB instead of Murat BAYAR in 2014. This process, which started in 2014, was largely completed in 2018.

With İsmail DEMİR, who started to work as the head of SSB as the top representative of the Michigan school, almost all the General Managers and Boards of Directors of VBO companies were changed over time. While almost no retired soldiers are left on the boards of directors, instead of senior managers with high company experience, who started from the lowest levels within the company and rose to senior management positions over time, they are recruited mainly from outside, either from Turkish Airlines and THY Teknik or from universities, and as much as possible from academic qualifications. Among those, General Manager and Chairman of the Board of Directors were appointed. As a result of the change of General Managers and Chairman and Members of the Boards of Directors in VBO companies, almost all of the managers and above in all companies were changed, creating a chain reaction.

The process of changing the General Managers and Boards of Directors of VBO companies has now been restarted with Prof. Dr. Halûk GÖRGÜN. In these changes with the GörGÜN stamp, in addition to people's worldviews, whether they are from the Rensselaer Polytechnic school or not is also important.

Based on my observations during the years I worked in the defense industry, I can easily claim that this new change process will definitely have downward reflections. Naturally, I believe that there will be a process that will trigger many experienced and equipped young engineers in the defense industry to reconsider their career plans.

The Majority of Defense Industry Vice Presidents Changed

Haluk GÖRGÜN prefers to work with people close to him and pave the way for them. As a matter of fact, while he was working as the Vice Rector at Yıldız University, Prof. Dr., who was working as the rector's advisor at that time. With Hakan KARATAŞ becoming the GM of ASELSAN. He was appointed as ASELSAN Deputy General Manager of Corporate Governance. Now, it is understood that as soon as he became the head of the SSB, he appointed KARATAŞ, a person close to him, as the Vice President of the Defense Industry by the Presidential decree. Meanwhile, one of the SSB vice presidents, Prof. Dr. Faruk YİĞİT, who has a doctorate from the University of Michigan, had to leave his vice president seat.

General Managers and/or Assistants of Foundation Companies Are Being Changed

ASELSAN

The first change was in ASELSAN. Görgün, who was appointed as the head of SSB, handed over the ASELSAN GM seat to Ahmet AKYOL, who was serving as ASELSAN Microelectronics Guidance and Electro-Optics Sector President and Deputy General Manager at that time.

İŞBİR – İşbir Electric

Serving as the Chairman of İşbir Elektrik's Board of Directors, TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center President Prof. graduated from Yıldız University Mechanical Department. Dr. İbrahim Kılıçaslan was appointed as GM on September 12, 2023, replacing Burhan ÖZGÜR, who had been the General Manager of İşbir Elektrik for 13 years.

TUSAŞ Engine Industry TEI (TAI Engine Industry) - Eskişehir

According to the rumors in the defense sector; After Haluk GÖRGÜN became the head of SSB, he asked the General Managers who were serving as chairman and/or members in the boards of directors of VBO companies to serve only as General Manager responsible for execution. Personally, I believe this is the right and appropriate decision.

TEI's two largest shareholders are Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc. (TAI) (50.5%) and General Electric (46.2%). On the instructions of GörgÜN, TEI's GM and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Prof. Dr. Mahmut AKŞİT, who has a doctorate from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, vacated the chairmanship of the company's Board of Directors. The Chairman of the Board of Directors is Prof., who also serves as GMY at TAI and stands out with his successful work at TAI, and has a doctorate from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Dr. It was transferred to Fahrettin ÖZTÜRK on September 14, 2023.

Akşit still continues his duty as TEI GM. On the other hand, in the past, TEI was claimed to be the backyard of the GAYE (Gümüşhaneli Research, Solidarity and Education) Foundation, which was founded by Mahmut AKŞİT's father, Mustafa Cevat AKŞİT. There is no end to the allegations that especially in the recruitment of personnel to TEI, priority is given to those who have connections with the foundation in question. Let's see what Haluk GÖRGÜN will do about this, I'm waiting with curiosity.

The General Manager of the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation (TSKGV) has also changed

TAFF Chairman of the Board of Directors Haluk GÖRGÜN; He ensured the appointment of İbrahim TOPÇU as a principal, replacing Retired Major General Sadık PİYADE, who was serving as the Deputy General Manager of the Foundation. TOPÇU had been the Istanbul General Manager of Teknopark Istanbul, in partnership with the Presidency of Defense Industries and the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, since 2018.

By the way, GORGÜN; He did not forget that Muhammet Fatih ÖZSOY, who was working as Corporate Governance Manager at ASELSAN, took the seat vacated by TOPÇU, the new general manager of the Foundation, in Teknopark Istanbul.

TUSAŞ – Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc.

Changes were also made in some of TAI's Deputy General Managers. Previously, Mehmet DEMİROĞLU, who graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, was appointed as the head of the Helicopter Group.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. originates from THY and has a doctorate from the University of Michigan. Instead of Selman NAS, Prof.Dr. with a doctorate from Syracuse University, USA. Lokman KUZU was appointed as TAI Space Systems Deputy General Manager on October 19, 2023.

On the same date, Ömer YILDIZ, a former TCDD General Manager with a doctorate from the University of Michigan, who was known for his extensive experience in tram and metro systems, was replaced; Mustafa GÜRSOY, who graduated from Yıldız Technical University in Mechanical Engineering and completed his master's degree at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, was appointed as TUSAŞ İHA GMY.

ASPİLSAN - Military Battery Industry and Trade Joint Stock Company

At ASPİLSAN, Dr. Ebubekir Koç was elected Chairman of the Board of Directors. Prof. Dr. Ebru Menşur, Ferhat Özsoy, Ali Zeki Saruhan and Dr. While Mehmet Nurullah Ateş became a member of the board of directors, the current chairman of the board is Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Turan Özdemir was appointed as the general manager of the company.

ASPHAT - Military Factory and Shipyard Management Inc.

ASPHATE; It is an organization affiliated with Dr. Celal Sami TÜFEKÇİ, Deputy Minister of National Defense, who has a doctorate from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. On December 27, 2023, Behçet KARATAŞ, also from ASELSAN, who was serving as SST Sector President and Deputy General Manager, was appointed as the new General Manager of ASFAT. KARATAŞ, a graduate of METU Electrical and Electronics Engineering, took over the position from former TAI employee and ASFAT Founding General Manager Esad AKGÜN.

TUBITAK SAGE - Defense Industry Research and Development Institute

METU Electrical and Electronics Graduate Gürcan OKUMUŞ, who has been serving as the General Manager of TUBITAK SAGE since 2018, also announced that he resigned from his position before the new year. It is considered a surprise that OKUMUŞ, who was trained in Zorlu Group and known to be a successful GM at SAGE, suddenly left or had to leave the head of SAGE.

Conclusion

Prof. Dr. Halûk GÖRGÜN, who stepped into the defense industry as ASELSAN General Manager and Chairman of the Board of Directors in 2018, was appointed as the President of the Presidency of Defense Industries and also the Chairman of the Board of TSKGV with the signature of President Erdoğan at the beginning of June 2023.

Haluk GÖRGÜN, who graduated from Yıldız Technical University, came from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York, and has been the most competent person at the top of ASELSAN for the last five years, is clearly establishing his own team in the defense industry. It leaves its mark on the industry. It is understood that the people appointed by GÖRGÜN to head the companies affiliated with TAFF are trying to take three criteria as basis;

The first is to have a master's degree and/or doctorate at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, New York, USA.

Secondly, even if there is no RPI education, at least having graduated from Yıldız Technical University, having a doctorate or having worked at this university.

Third, if possible, to have worked with him as a manager at ASELSAN in the last five years.

In addition to establishing his own team, Haluk GÖRGÜN; It expects defense industry companies to own products and give priority to making a tangible contribution to the country's economy by exporting them to domestic and international markets. In line with this understanding, I evaluate that he wants to see General Managers and Chairman of the Board of Directors at the head of the companies who do not 'fool around' with prototypes and who can contribute to the export of defense products by converting prototypes into serial products without wasting time. I believe that the company taken as a model here is ASELSAN, as far as I can understand. Other companies may be expected to adopt the ASELSAN model, which has a very wide range of serial products. I can already say that Haluk GÖRGÜN will continue to work with those who believe in this work philosophy and company managers who embrace his principles, leaving others out of action. In my opinion, among those to be eliminated, those from the Michigan school, who lost power with the departure of İsmail DEMİR, may have been placed first.

References

Vizyonergenç Haber, “TEI, ASPİLSAN ve İŞBİR Yönetimlerine Taze Kan”, 14 Eylül 2023, https://vizyonergenc.com/icerik/tei-aspi-lsan-ve-i-sbi-r-yonetimlerine-taze-kan-1694674320195#:~:text=Ebru%20Menşur%2C%20Ferhat%20Özsoy%2C%20Ali,şirketin%20genel%20müdürü%20olarak%20atandı

SavunmaSanayiST.com, “Ahmet Akyol ASELSAN Genel Müdürü olarak atandı”, 22 Haziran 2023, https://www.savunmasanayist.com/ahmet-akyol-aselsan-genel-muduru-olarak-atandi/

Tolgaozbek.com, “TUA’dan TUSAŞ’a sektörde bayrak değişimi… İşte yeni görevler”, 24 Ekim 2023, https://tolgaozbek.com/haberler/tuadan-tusasa-sektorde-bayrak-degisimi-iste-yeni-gorevler/

MarinDeal, “ASFAT’ın yeni Genel Müdürü atandı”, 29 Aralık 2023, https://www.marinedealnews.com/asfat-a-s-yeni-genel-muduru-atandi/

Savunmasanayiidergilik, “TEI Yönetim Kurulu Başkanı Prof. Dr. Fahrettin Öztürk oldu”, 13 Eylül 2023, https://savunmasanayiidergilik.com/tr/HaberDergilik/TEI-Yonetim-Kurulu-Baskani-Prof-Dr-Fahrettin-ozturk-oldu

AA Haber, “TSKGV'nin yeni genel müdürü Bilal Topçu oldu”, 6 Ekim 2023, https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/gundem/tskgvnin-yeni-genel-muduru-bilal-topcu-oldu/3009439