BMC wins contract for Turkey’s indigenous battle tank: Defense sources

ANKARA

BMC, a Turkish-Qatari armored vehicles manufacturer, has won a key contract on the road to developing and producing the country’s main battle tank, dubbed “Altay,” defense sources told state-run Anadolu Agency on April 24.

It was decided to start contract talks with BMC for the mass production of Altay and the development of its engine, according to sources.

Any financial or production details were not yet released.

In the Altay mass production race BMC was competing with FNSS and Koç Holding’s Otokar, the maker of Altay’s prototypes.

The companies, including the public engine maker Tümosan as well as BMC, Figes Fizik, Istanbul Denizcilik and Tusaş Motor, were last year invited to start work on the engine development.

After the news broke yesterday, Otokar shares fell by 6 percent and Tümosan shares by 4 in the main stock exchange.

Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli said last November that Turkey opened a tender to mass produce 500 Altay tanks, of which 250 were optional, and added that the tender would be finalized in the coming days.