Turkey’s long-awaited domestic automobile is still three years away from reaching the market, said Science, Industry and Technology Minister Fikri Isik.
Isik said the production of Turkey’s first domestic automobile includes a three-stage plan and that the second stage is currently under way. This stage includes the production of several prototypes, which Isik said would hopefully take place this August, Today’s Zaman reported.
The minister made it clear that there would be no promotional ceremony for the prototypes, adding that since completion of the project is still three years away, unveiling an early-stage prototype would not be appropriate.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan chastised industrialists for having yet to produce a Turkish-made automobile earlier this year.
“It is 2015 and we are still going from door to door regarding the local automobile. For years this country has been spending funds that it accumulated under difficult conditions on planes and tanks from abroad. Those who are timid when it comes to production are quite brave when it comes to importing. This is a problem,” said Erdogan.
Turkish automaker Karsan Otomotiv said last year that it had made significant progress in building Turkey’s long-expected first locally built passenger car, adding that the firm still has to invest $100 million to see the project realized. Although Turkey has yet to produce a domestically made vehicle, the production of vehicles for foreign automakers is one of the country’s major industries.
