Turkey's indigenous regional jet project faces local production 'crisis'

The TRJet program to build Turkey?s first indigenous regional jet faces problems as the U.S.-based Sierra Nevada Corp. (SNC), a partner in the jet program, has been asked to produce at least 70 percent of the jet?s parts in Turkey by the Undersecretariat for the Defense Industry (SSM), according to company representatives, noting that a final agreement has been not inked yet. 

The TRJet program was first launched in a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu just 10 days before the June elections, but the project already has obstacles. The SSM has asked that 70 percent of the plane parts be made in Turkey by SNC, which has undertaken the project. This, however, is not possible, according to company representatives. 

?It is now asked from us to meet the target of 70 percent of local production in the project. It is very difficult to meet this target. The aircraft engine and the electronic systems already constitute most of the parts of the aircraft, and all of them are produced abroad. This should be applied not for the TRJ328 with the capacity of 32 passengers, which needs to be produced at the first stage and to be submitted in three years, but for the TRJ628 with the capacity of 70 passengers, which is planned to be submitted until 2023,? said company chairwoman and president, Eren Özmen. 

The TRJ328 and the TRJ628 will be based on Dornier 328 and Dornier 628, respectively.  

?This is $1.5 billion-worth of business. The acquisition of Dornier?s intellectual property rights, the production of 50 new TRJ328s and the first design of TRJ628,? said company CEO Fatih Özmen. 

No ?final agreement? yet

However, Fatih Özmen has made a critical point about the project. ?In the launch ceremony in May, we signed...