ANKARA, Turkey — Increasing political tensions and terror threats in Turkey and the world's other conflict zones are offering unique opportunities to Turkey's rising armored vehicles manufacturers.
"Various [armored vehicle] models long proven in Turkey have made them competitive export products," according to a senior procurement planner who specializes in exports. "This is a positive vicious circle: Successful local-design vehicles find a chance to prove their capabilities in home use; then they sell to foreign customers; and finally they invest in new technologies to advance their products."
One such company is Nurol Machinery, whose main business is four-wheel drive tactical armored vehicles. Nurol's staff sharply rose from 110 in 2012 to 480 last year. Its sales jumped from a mere $5 million in 2012 to nearly $100 million in 2016, a 20-fold rise in a span of four years.
Nurol has sold more than 250 units of its signature vehicle, the Ejder Yalcin, a heavy armored combat vehicle with conventional and ballistic protection against mines and improvised explosive devices.
Total orders for the Ejder Yalcin have exceeded 500 units. The company has just penned its first export contract for the Ejder Yalcin and expects two more export contracts this year. The company hopes to sell more than 1,000 Ejder Yalcin in the next two years as political analysts anticipate deepening conflicts in and around Turkey.
The Ejder Yalcin is used both by the Turkish military and the police special forces, mostly in the country's southeast where Kurdish militants have been fighting a violent separatist war since 1984.
The brand-new Ilgaz is a light armored combat vehicle. The first two units rolled out have already been exported. Nurol plans to showcase the vehicle at the International Defence Industry Fair, or IDEF 2017, in Turkey in May.
Nurol's Ejder Toma is an anti-riot vehicle based on an indigenous military chassis. It features a four-wheel drive independent suspension system and, unlike other anti-riot vehicles, is suitable for off-road use. In addition to the police department, the Turkish Land Forces and the Gendarmerie have been using the Ejder Toma in their operations on both sides of Turkey's troubled border with Syria. Turkey has lost nearly 70 troops during Operation Euphrates Shield, its military incursion into northern Syria since August. The Ejder Toma has sold more than 300 units, including exports.
Nurol boasts that all of its products are indigenous designs. Nurol is part of Nurol Holding Inc., which also partners in FNSS, another armored vehicle producer and a partnership between Nurol and BAE Systems; Nurol Technology, a defense technologies concern; and the newly launched BNA, a joint venture between Nurol and BAE specializing in subsystems for aerospace programs.
"Unfortunately, there are no credible signs that the conflicts in this part of the world will subside in the next three years," said Engin Aykol, general manager of Nurol Machinery. "Take the military operation in Syria, for instance. It won't quickly come to an end. And even when it does, the Turkish military will probably have to stay [in Syria] as a deterrent force."
More than 10,000 Turkish security personnel, civilians and Kurdish rebels, mostly militants from the Kurdistan Workers' Party, have lost their lives since clashes resumed in July 2015 after a three-year cease-fire, forcing Ankara to spend more on various types of armored vehicles. The Turkish military also is fighting the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq.
Such asymmetrical war theaters boost demand for armored vehicles. In 2017 alone, the Turkish Interior Ministry will buy 440 tactical armored vehicles in addition to 50 anti-riot vehicles. The Gendarmerie in 2017 will buy 200 armored vehicles and 100 mine-resistant, ambush-protected armored vehicles.
Procurement officials say there is big demand, both from the military and the police, for "almost all types of armored vehicles." One official said: "We also expect a sizable demand for Turkish solutions from foreign markets, especially the Gulf and North African regions."
He said that Turkish producers in such markets would be competing with Western, including Israeli, and South Korean companies. "Ironically, cooperation between rivals is also a possibility. Some foreign companies may wish to partner with Turkey's cost-efficient, reliable engineering products."
According to Aykol, Turkish industry has two kinds of rivals in foreign markets: those that produce low-priced, low-quality products; and those that produce high-quality but expensive products. "We compete mostly with the second group, including U.S. and Israeli producers," Aykol said.
Aykol does not expect newcomers into the armor sector for two reasons. First, more players could further toughen competition and may harm quality. "The government is content with the present number of players," he said. Turkey's armor sector is largely dominated by about half a dozen producers.
"In addition to competition, the future may also see cooperation between local players," Aykol predicted. "Cooperation may be necessary to meet the large demand."
Burak Ege Bekdil was the Turkey correspondent for Defense News.
