Chinese and Turkish firms to build wagon-making plant in Ankara

ISTANBUL

Hürriyet Photo

Turkey’s MNG Holding has agreed with China’s CSR Corporation, which was selected last year to produce trains for the Ankara metro, to establish a wagon-manufacturing facility in Ankara as part of a $110 million investment.

The wagon-manufacturing facility will produce 200 vehicles and conduct the maintenance and repair of 150 vehicles a year, according to an official from the Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications Ministry. The companies will take the first step with a ceremony today that will be attended by Transport Minister Binali Yıldırım, the official added.

Construction will be completed in 12 months, the official said, noting that the project would create employment for 6,000 people.

CSR won the tender to construct 324 metro cars for the Ankara metro with the lowest bid at $391.2 million, but the firm was accused of not fulfilling the offset condition which obligated the tender-winner company to take 51 percent of inputs from Turkish companies.

Meanwhile, Chinese firm Zonda and Turkish firm Tukie have signed a protocol with the Siirt Governor’s Office to establish an electric bus manufacturing factory in the southeastern province.

A plant that will be constructed in the organized industrial zone will produce 2,000 electric buses and create employment for 2,000 people, said Siirt Gov. Ahmet Aydın.

Compiled from Reuters and Anatolia news agency stories by the Daily News staff.