ANKARA
Turkish defense firm Nurol Makina inked a deal to co-produce some 800 armored vehicles in Hungary, transitioning from a direct supplier to a local European manufacturer.
The deal covers the production of the Gidran 4x4 vehicles, a customized version of Nurol Makina’s Ejder Yalcin platform. The deal was recently finalized by the Hungarian Defense Ministry, the Hungarian Armed Forces, and 4iG Space and Defence Technologies.
Hungarian Premier Viktor Orban attended the signing ceremony in Budapest, alongside attendees such as Turkish Ambassador to Budapest Gulsen Karanis Eksioglu, Nurol Holding executives Oguz and Gurel Carmikli, as well as Nurol Makina CEO Engin Aykol, and Nurol Makina’s Hungarian subsidiary’s general manager Mehmet Atak.
Nurol Makina will partner with Hungarian automaker Raba to produce the additional 800 Gidran vehicles.
These vehicles will be included in a fleet of 106 vehicles previously manufactured in Türkiye and delivered to the Hungarian army.
Some components to be used in the vehicles will be sourced from the broader EU defense supply chain, while the majority of the vehicles will be built at a newly established plant in Hungary.
The signatories of the deal also signed a comprehensive life-cycle support and maintenance contract to service the existing fleet.
The Turkish company previously established a local subsidiary, Nurol Makina Hungary, which formed a joint venture with Raba to facilitate local production.
Meanwhile, 4iG Space and Defence Technologies holds exclusive distribution rights to supply the vehicles within the Hungarian market until 2030.
Hungarian officials called the co-production deal as a strategic move for national and regional security, and officials designated Nurol Makina as a strategic defense partner, elevating the firm alongside global contractors like CSG and Lockheed Martin.
The Gidran four-by-four boasts high-level ballistic protection against mines, improvised explosive devices, and lateral blasts.
The platform is equipped with a 375-horsepower engine and a fully independent suspension system.
It can be configured for multiple military roles, including personnel transport, recon, and command and control.
Nurol Makina’s armored vehicles have been operational in the Hungarian army’s inventory since 2020.
*Writing by Emir Yildirim in Istanbul