Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation
The Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation (Turkish: Makina ve Kimya Endüstrisi Kurumu or MKEK or Makina ve Kimya Endüstrisi or MKE for short), established in 1950, is a reorganization of government-controlled group of factories in Turkey that supplied the Turkish Armed Forces with military products.
Type | Public company |
---|---|
Industry | Defence |
Founded | 15 March 1950 |
Founder | Turkish Government |
Headquarters | Ankara, Turkey |
Area served | Armed forces |
Products | Assault rifles Ammunition Artillery systems Aerial bombs Land mines Explosives Rockets |
Revenue | 850 million (2011) |
Owner | Turkey: 100% |
Number of employees | 7430 |
Website | http://www.mkek.gov.tr |
History
Its roots lie in the "Tophane-i Amire" ("Royal Arsenal") built in the latter part of the 15th Century to supply the Ottoman Empire's artillery corps with cannon, powder, and shot. This was reorganized in 1832 as the "Tophane Müşavirliği" ("Arsenal of Ordnance and Artillery Marshalship") and was later formed in a department of "Harbiye Nezareti" (Ministry of War) in 1908. After World War I and the following "Young Turks" revolt, it was reorganized as the "General Directorate of Military Factories" in 1923. Today, the MKE is made up of 12 facilities that employ 7,430 personnel.
Products
The corporation mainly produces equipment for the Turkish Armed Forces, such as the ammunition for small arms and heavy weapons, artillery systems, aerial bombs, mines, explosives, and rockets. MKEK also manufactures civil-purpose products such as steel, brass, and electrical parts and equipment. Its large range of defense industry products are not only demanded in Turkey, but are exported to more than 40 countries worldwide.
In 2011, the company has sold military products to 29 countries worldwide.[1] The first smoothbore gun for Altay main battle tank was introduced in 2011.
- Production groups:
- Ammunition Group
- Rocket Group
- Weapons Group
- Explosives, Propellants, and Pyrotechnic Products Group
- Company and factories: there are 11 factories and 1 company affiliated with MKE located in three major manufacturing hubs:
- Kırıkkale
- Ammunition Factory
- Brass Factory
- Heavy Weapons Factory And Steel Foundry
- Explosives Factory
- Small-Arms Weapons Factory (Kırıkkale Arsenal Co.)
- Ankara
- Explosive & Propellant Factory
- Machinery and Gas-Mask Factory
- Pyrotechnics Factory
- Scrap Recycling Plant
- Small-Arms Ammunition Factory
- Çankırı
- Medium-Caliber Weapons Factory
- Kırıkkale
Aircraft
- MKEK-1 Gözcü (Turkish - "Observer")
- MKEK-2
- MKEK-3
- MKEK-4 Uğur (Turkish: "Luck")
- MKEK-5
- MKEK-6
- MKEK-7
- THK-16
Weapons
Submachine Gun
- Heckler & Koch MP5 - (under licensed copy)
Assault Rifles
- Heckler & Koch HK33 - (under licensed copy)
- Heckler & Koch G3 - (under licensed copy)
- MKEK MPT
Sniper Rifles
Machine Gun
- FN MAG - (under licensed copy)
- Browning M2 - (under licensed copy)
Grenade Launcher
- Milkor MGL - (under licensed copy)
- Mk 19 - (under licensed copy)
Howitzer
Self-propelled howitzer
References
- (in Turkish) MKEK, 5 kıtaya silah sattı kar rekoru kırdı, Hurriyet, 4 March 2012