Turkey may build planes, minister says

SEATTLE/ISTANBUL - Anatolia News Agency

Nihat Ergün. AA photo

Turkey plans to produce its own regional airliner and jets by 2023, the 100th anniversary of the modern republic, according to the science, industry and technology minister.

This is one the significant steps the country aims to take in aviation, Minister Nihat Ergün said during his visit to the Boeing facilities in Seattle, U.S. “Boeing is among companies we can cooperate with,” Ergun said.

Currently, around 350-400 Turkish engineers work in Boeing. Turkish companies could manufacture more Boeing parts, Ergun said. “Some parts of Boeing wing and tail systems are already manufactured in Turkey.”

‘Joint R&D possible’

Following the visit, Ergün told the Anatolia News Agency that the trip had given him an opportunity to talk to Boeing executives about the possibility of the company and Turkey cooperating on research and development.

Ergün said that he knew there would be a “long way” to go before all such manufacturing ambitions could be fully realized. “Building a Boeing 737 or an Airbus A380 is not similar to making a car. We are not calling for sector to produce planes immediately.”