To which countries will GÖKBEY be sold, when will KAAN be delivered to the Turkish Air Force, what parts will be manufactured for the global giant? Speech by Hakan Çelik to TUSAŞ General Manager Dr. Highlights from an interview with Mehmet Demiroğlu in Farnborough, UK include:
“Gokubei flew with a domestically produced motor.”
TAI General Manager Mehmet Demiroğlu said of Gökbey’s flight, “We showed this in Turkey. If we want, if we join forces we can do anything, and we have made it happen. Hürjet flew, followed by Gökbey with domestically produced engines. ATAK-2 flew, then ANKA-3 flew towards the end of the year, and KAAN made its first flight on February 21st. We are also receiving interest from developed countries.”
“We will produce 500 helicopters.”
The TAI General Manager also shared the planned production numbers for GÖKBEY. “If we don’t manufacture 500 helicopters, it means we are doing something wrong somewhere. The price of these helicopters will reach about $10 billion. The number of helicopters we are considering selling to countries and regions will not be less than 500. It is a helicopter with a beautiful shape and figure…” he said.
“We will offer a full jet in 2026.”
HÜRJET is an aircraft that can be a light attack aircraft. We are also working on this. Customers ask: “Is this product in stock?” Now we have 17. We will start donating in 2026. This will fill a serious gap. Given the cost-performance ratio and quality, this is more favorable. If the Turkish Army uses it, it will be more prestigious.
We are qualified to sell our products to Europe and the USA.
We met with US companies, we said, “You’re having a hard time on the Mexican border, let us give you Aksungul. We have the capacity to sell our products to Europe and America.”
“We are working with Boeing and Airbus.”
We also have partnerships with Boeing and Airbus. It provides billions of dollars of business volume. This is an important development for us. We will continue to increase our capacity. We need to produce and deliver our products.
“The best helicopter in its class”
Demiroglu also shared details about the ATAK helicopter. “It’s the best helicopter in its class and the users are happy. We are building 24 more. We are happy with ATAK. Almost all of these ammunition come from either ROKETSAN or MKE. It’s what we call our own product. The 20mm cannons were sourced from abroad, but we didn’t get them. They cut them. We built our own balls. We are moving towards 70-80 percent. We’re reaching 100 percent on some platforms. We are now doing everything we want,” he said.
“Anka 3 testing continues”
Regarding the development work of the ANKA-3, Mehmet Demiroglu said, “The ANKA-3 is currently flying with two prototypes. We are conducting development and outer perimeter opening tests. We are increasing the altitude, speed and payload. Three main engines.” All three TAI companies are in mass production, and “the contribution to our sales is similar,” he said.
“Khan is our aircraft… first delivery will be in 2028.”
All eyes are on Turkey’s national fighter jet, KAAN, in 2028. Demiroglu emphasized that KAAN is not just an aircraft project, saying:
“KAAN is also an ecosystem project. 2028 is the year we are currently planning the first delivery. It may come in 2029, but it won’t happen until 2039. It was introduced 14 years after the production of the first part. 22 months later, in the ’80s, the F-22 started to be designed. During this period, the F-22 was the best aircraft at the time, but some of the systems that will be added to KAAN are: ‘This plane is mine’, people’s interest is not there in the F-22. “It’s a big source of motivation for us. It puts pressure on us, but the motivation part is more dominant.”
