Automotive industry in Turkey

The automotive industry in Turkey plays an important role in the manufacturing sector of the Turkish economy. The companies operating in the Turkish automotive sector are mainly located in the Marmara Region, especially Bursa.

In 2023, Turkey produced 1,486,393 motor vehicles, ranking as the 13th largest producer in the world (production peaked at 1,695,731 motor vehicles in 2017, when Turkey also ranked 13th).^[1] Turkish automotive companies like TEMSA, Otokar and BMC are among the world's largest van, bus and truck manufacturers. Togg, or Turkey's Automobile Joint Venture Group Inc. is the first all-electric vehicle company of Turkey. With a cluster of car-makers and parts suppliers, the Turkish automotive sector has become an integral part of the global network of production bases, exporting more than $35 billion worth of motor vehicles and components.^[2] In 2017 nearly 85% of exports went to Europe.^[3] Global car manufacturers with production plants include Tofaş, Oyak-Renault, Hyundai Assan Otomotiv, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Turkey, Ford Otosan.

The foundations of the industry were laid in the 1950s when TOE (Türk Otomotiv Endüstrileri A.Ş.) started producing REO military truck and later trucks by International Harvester. A brief foray in car production was stopped short. In 1961 the first indigenously designed domestic passenger car Devrim was made by train manufacturer TCDD. With the establishment of the Otosan assembly factory in 1959, mass production of the domestic car Anadol started in 1966 followed by the mass production of Renault 12 by Renault-Oyak joint venture Mais in 1969.