Turkey’s first aircraft manufacturer, TOMTAŞ Aviation and Technology Inc., is taking a major step toward revitalizing national jet production under a “super incentive” program. The project, officially supported under the Project-Based State Aid Decision, will enable the company to produce critical components for the HÜRJET jet trainer and light attack aircraft developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ). Spanning six years from 2023, the investment will total approximately ₺9.5 billion, making it one of Turkey’s most ambitious aviation projects.

The upcoming production facility in Kayseri will directly employ around 1,000 people, including 150 highly qualified personnel, and is expected to generate a large network of subcontractors specializing in precision manufacturing and aerospace technologies. Once operational, the plant will have the capacity to produce 12 aircraft per year, along with 2,016 tons of aircraft parts and 84 major subassembly components. With rising international demand for HÜRJET, the annual output is planned to expand first to 24, and eventually to 48 aircraft. The project-based incentive includes exemptions from customs duties and VAT, corporate tax reductions, 10 years of employer insurance premium support, funding for skilled labor, and allocation of an industrial production site — all of which will significantly accelerate manufacturing timelines.

Ali Ekşi, General Manager and Board Member of TOMTAŞ, stated that the company signed an agreement with TUSAŞ in October 2024 to become an approved supplier for HÜRJET, handling component-level assembly for 12 aircraft. Ekşi emphasized their vision to transform Kayseri into a major aviation hub, drawing inspiration from TOMTAŞ’s legacy founded in 1925. He noted that the HÜRJET Assembly Plant will be inaugurated in the company’s 100th anniversary year, with an invitation extended to the President for the opening ceremony.

Since 2023, TOMTAŞ has established a machining plant within the Kayseri Mimarsinan Organized Industrial Zone, as well as dedicated R&D and Engineering Offices in both Kayseri and Ankara. The assembly plant is set to become operational in the second half of this year, and by 2027, the TOMTAŞ Aviation Campus near Kayseri Airport will be fully functional. Under the signed HÜRJET Block-I contract, TOMTAŞ will manufacture and assemble the aircraft’s front, center, and rear fuselage sections, wing boxes, and tail assemblies, completing the project by February 2027.

Once fully operational, the facility will be the only domestic site for component-level assembly of HÜRJET, positioning TOMTAŞ as a key player in both national and international aerospace supply chains. With accumulated technical expertise, the company aims to expand into global aircraft component production, maintenance, and repair. The project’s scale and incentives are expected to surpass the initial ₺9.5 billion investment, contributing to Turkey’s long-term goal of achieving full independence in aviation and defense manufacturing — and restoring Kayseri’s historic identity as the city that builds aircraft.