The ALTAY Main Battle Tank Project is considered one of the most important milestones in the transformation of the Turkish defence industry. More than just a program to develop an armored land platform, ALTAY represents a major shift toward indigenous design, domestic production and strategic independence. The project strengthened Türkiye’s goal of developing platforms tailored to the operational needs of the Turkish Armed Forces.

OYAK General Manager Murat Yalçıntaş, who previously served as general manager at BMC during the serial production phase of ALTAY, shared his experiences in his book titled “The Unknown Story of the New ALTAY.” Yalçıntaş stated that his purpose in writing the book was not only to provide a personal account but also to contribute to the preservation of institutional memory in the defence industry. He emphasized that many people, from engineers and technicians to bureaucrats and political leaders, contributed to major defence projects, and that this accumulated experience must be passed on to future generations.

According to Yalçıntaş, although public attention has often focused on the engine issue in the ALTAY Project, the real turning point was a deeper change in mindset. The project showed that Türkiye’s main objective should not be to buy ready-made platforms from abroad but to design systems according to the specific needs of the Turkish Armed Forces. He noted that foreign-made systems can never fully meet Türkiye’s geographic, operational and tactical requirements.

With ALTAY, Türkiye moved from being a country that procures ready-made weapon systems to one that designs its own platforms and institutionalizes domestic production. Although some critical subsystems were initially expected to be supplied from abroad during the prototype phase, obstacles encountered during the serial production process demonstrated the necessity of national solutions for strategic components. This experience accelerated efforts to develop domestic alternatives, especially in areas such as power packs.

One of the most important outcomes of the project has been the development of the BATU power pack with national resources. The risks created by dependence on foreign suppliers during serial production were a major lesson not only for ALTAY but also for other land, air and naval platform projects in Türkiye. As a result, the will to develop domestic capabilities in critical fields such as engines, transmissions, armor, electronic systems and command-control infrastructure became even stronger.

Yalçıntaş also commented on OYAK’s future role in the defence industry. He stated that OYAK will focus on complementary areas rather than directly competing with existing defence companies. As one of Türkiye’s largest industrial groups with around 143 companies, OYAK cannot remain indifferent to the defence industry. However, he emphasized the importance of directing resources correctly and focusing especially on dual-use technologies that can serve both civilian and military purposes.

High-grade steel production is one of OYAK’s complementary contributions to the defence sector. These steels can be used in mining and civilian industry, as well as in the military field as armor steel. Yalçıntaş noted that foundation companies in the defence industry already carry out significant research and development in their own fields, while OYAK aims to support and complement the sector through areas where it has strong industrial capabilities.

Yalçıntaş also underlined the importance of explaining the defence industry to the public correctly. According to him, achieving success in defence is important, but communicating these achievements to young people and society is equally critical. If the strategic value of the sector is not clearly explained, qualified young people may turn to other fields. For this reason, developing the human resources needed by the defence industry depends on properly conveying the importance of this sector.

With all these aspects, the ALTAY Tank Project has become a symbol of Türkiye’s technical, institutional and strategic transformation in the defence industry. Through the project, Türkiye not only moved forward in producing a main battle tank but also gained valuable experience in indigenous design, critical subsystem development, domestic production, institutional memory and complementary industrial capabilities. The story of ALTAY stands as an important roadmap for future Turkish defence projects.