• 'In our 50th year, we laid the foundation for Ogulbey, one of the world's leading facilities,' Aselsan CEO Ahmet Akyol tells Anadolu
• 'We are talking about investments that will multiply production capacity, test areas, training areas, demonstration areas, and all of their design centers by 2, 3, or 4 times'
• "We have now reached the point where we can manufacture and deliver in one of the most challenging areas, such as air defense'

ISTANBUL

Recalling the Turkish defense giant Aselsan’s recent investment in a new factory in Ankara, CEO Ahmet Akyol said it was the largest single defense industry investment in the Republic of Türkiye's history, as the firm has grown from a smaller one with thousands of employees currently working.

Speaking at Anadolu Technology Desk during Türkiye’s premier aviation, space, and technology event TEKNOFEST on Friday, Akyol noted the company has grown from just four employees 50 years ago to 13,000 today.

Organized under the leadership of the Ministry of Industry and Technology and the T3 Foundation, TEKNOFEST—the world’s largest technology festival—is welcoming visitors at Istanbul Atatürk Airport from Sept. 17-21.

Last month, Aselsan announced the launch of a $1.5 billion factory investment in the capital, Ankara, on 6,500 acres of land in the Ogulbey district.

Akyol announced that Aselsan is celebrating its 50th anniversary, saying: “In our 50th year, we laid the foundation for Ogulbey, one of the world's leading facilities.”

He pointed out that activities at Aselsan’s Ogulbey factory are currently proceeding at a rapid pace, adding that this will be Europe’s largest integrated air defense facility.

"We are talking about investments that will multiply production capacity, test areas, training areas, demonstration areas, and all of their design centers by two, three, or four times," he explained.

He said this expansion will provide more opportunities and new competencies to Türkiye, as well as make significant financial contributions to Aselsan.  

Steel Dome 

Akyol said Aselsan is the company employing the most engineers in Türkiye, adding: “We are one of Europe's most valuable companies, and we are currently able to operate in almost all areas of defense electronics.

"We have now reached the point where we can manufacture and deliver in one of the most challenging areas, such as air defense. We have reached the point where we can design and implement the Steel Dome."

The Steel Dome, developed with national solutions for low, medium, and high altitudes, is an air defense system designed to integrate different weapons, missiles, and radars.

Akyol emphasized that Aselsan closely monitors global developments and that these evaluations led to the conclusion that an integrated air defense system, such as Steel Dome, was required.

He stressed that two years ago, Aselsan conducted these analyses, and the government named the project Steel Dome and took ownership of it.

"Together with our partners, we are carrying out this work to secure our country, our airspace, and our maritime territory against the threats of the new modern battlefield," he expressed.

He added: "But we are also investing in offensive systems and unmanned systems. When we have all of these together and combine them with a strong army and support them with a strong economy, it will be possible to continue on our path in peace and tranquility in this region."  

Operates in 25 countries 

Aselsan has achieved significant success in Europe and operates in 25 countries worldwide, continuing to grow every day, he stressed.

The momentum of these efforts over the last 20 years has increased in ways that cannot be compared to the past, he said, adding that in 2004, 2,000 people worked at the company, and since then, it has experienced significant growth.

From 2004 to today, the firm’s workforce has grown from 2,000 to 13,000 employees, he noted.

"This acceleration in recent years is the result of our nation's and government's conscious and persistent policies in this area," he underlined.

Especially after the Cold War, when many European countries deemed defense investments unnecessary, abandoned them, and gradually withdrew from this field, Türkiye, as a country, resolutely continued to invest in this area, he recalled.

He said: "Today, we see how panicked those countries that did not make those investments are now. We are actually reaping the fruits of that determined policy, which was initiated by our president and supported by our nation."

Akyol mentioned that Aselsan has added more than 500 different products to its inventory to date, saying that Aselsan is a company that has delivered more than two million products to the Turkish Armed Forces and Türkiye's friends and allies around the world.

With this product portfolio and wide range of technologies, producing more and gaining new competencies remain key parts of the firm’s roadmap, he added.