‘No car is original,’ minister says to defend Turkey’s ‘national Cadillac’

ISTANBUL

AA photo

Science and Technology Minister Fikri Işık has stepped into the debate on the apparent resemblance of Turkey’s long-awaited “national car” to the Cadillac BLS, saying “no car is 100 percent original.”

Işık had announced on Oct. 13 that the country’s first entirely locally-made cars were under development, sharing “camouflaged” photos of three prototypes with the public.

However, the apparent resemblance between the prototypes and the Cadillac BLS, a restyled version of the Saab 9-3, created a firestorm on social media. Many Twitter users labeled the car a “national Cadillac,” joking that if it were not for the camouflage then even the Cadillac logo could be seen. 

The similarities of the new car to the Cadillac BLS are not confined to its exterior, as both the car’s interior and front panel design are also almost identical with the BLS. 

Işık joined the discussion on Oct. 14, arguing that no car is “100 percent original,” daily Hürriyet reported. 
“Friends, this is only the beginning. The final product will be admirable and will meet the needs of the Turkish people,” he said, assuring the public that the car would be “an original model”

Meanwhile, it is still unclear which companies will produce Turkey’s first local car.

“It could be the private sector or the public sector. If we decide upon the private sector, subsidies will be considered,” Işık stated. 

He also underlined that the near future would be critical in the automobile industry, with the world set to see new-generation electric cars developed by Apple or Google. 

“Turkey must not miss the train,” Işık said.