Turkish combat vehicle will be manufactured in Hungary

Turkish defence company Nurol Makina and N7 Nemzeti Védelmi Ipari Innovation Holding signed on Tuesday an MoU on a joint venture to manufacture Gidrán combat vehicles.

The companies’ chief executives Engin Ufuk Aykol and László Palkovics, respectively, signed the deal in the presence of Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, the defense minister, in the ministry building.

The deal involves production and assembly as well as research and development in Hungary, the ministry said in a statement.

Szalay-Bobrovniczky noted efforts under way to revamp the Hungarian armed forces, saying that this must be achieved in a way that insulates Hungary from supplier risks. This entails building a “serious” defence industry in a way that serves the armed forces development as well as that of the Hungarian economy as a whole, he said. Hungary views Türkiye as a strategic partner in this, he added.