Esra Karataş AlpayPresident Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday unveiled Türkiye’s first mass-produced main battle tank Altay, a technological milestone hailed by military experts as a showcase of the country’s industrial maturity, defence self-reliance, and global ambition.
President Erdogan said as much during the official ceremony to formally induct the tank into the Turkish armed forces.
“We'll develop and manufacture this tank independently, without relying on other parties for critical components,” he told the audience that included ministers and high-ranking officials.
“We'll either find a way, or forge one ourselves. Our setbacks may slow us down, but they won't stop us from reaching our destination, he added, also highlighting the rapid strides made by the Turkish defence industry.
The Altay is named after General Fahrettin Altay, the legendary commander of the cavalry regiment that entered İzmir in 1922 during the Turkish War of Independence.
Significantly, the induction of the tank into the armed forces came a day before the country celebrates its Republic Day, when a modern Türkiye emerged after the fall of the Ottoman Empire.
Mesut Hakki Casin, a defence expert and professor of international law and security, calls it “a revolution in the history” of Türkiye.
“This tank is Türkiye’s greatest mechanical creation since the founding of the republic,” Casin tells TRT World.
“It will be the steel cavalry of the Turkish army — the barrel of its future victories, just like the triumph of August 30,” he adds, referring to the day celebrated as Victory Day to commemorate the triumph of Turkish forces over Greek invaders in 1922.
Symbol to strategic power
Produced under the leadership of BMC, in collaboration with ASELSAN, HAVELSAN, and the Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation (MKE), the Altay tank reflects the consolidation of Türkiye’s defence ecosystem.
Its production facilities have been relocated to the Ankara Aerospace Center, a strategic move that, according to Casin, “ensures security and depth against potential enemy airstrikes”.
The complex, spanning more than 850,000 square metres, is designed for resilience and expansion.
“When you compare it with the American M60 or the M1 Abrams, which took nearly two decades to complete,” he says, “Türkiye has developed and tested this prototype in just over ten years. What we now have is a fifth-generation tank that meets all international standards.”
The production timeline is equally ambitious. “Eighty tanks will be delivered to the Turkish Armed Forces within three years, and 250 within five,” Casin explains. “It’s one of the fastest production schedules in the world.”
For decades, Türkiye’s tank fleet relied on American M48/M60 and German Leopard models — formidable in their time, but increasingly outdated. The Altay represents not only an upgrade but a decisive step toward technological independence.
“The motor issue was critical,” Casin states. “Initially, some units will use Korean engines. But once BMC finalises its 1000 and 1500-horsepower engines, future production will shift entirely to Turkish power systems. It’s exactly the model followed by other major military powers.”
Beyond the engine, Türkiye is also producing its own transmission, optics, fire control systems, and encrypted communications. The cryptographic innovations, developed by ASELSAN, make it “impossible for enemy electronic warfare systems to intercept or jam communications,” he adds.
The tank is built to endure nuclear, biological, and chemical environments, and its composite armour provides superior protection against modern anti-tank missiles and drone attacks.
Casin emphasises that “this design directly incorporates the lessons Türkiye learned from its operations in Syria and Iraq against the PKK — the know-how of real combat experience.”
The tank’s introduction also carries symbolic weight.
After the 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation, the US imposed an arms embargo that left Türkiye’s M48 tanks immobile. “Today,” Casin observes, “Türkiye is in a position where no embargo can stop its defence industry. That is the real triumph.”
“The tank remains an indispensable weapon on the battlefield. As the backbone of Türkiye’s land forces, the Altay will vastly strengthen our mechanised divisions.”
Global player in the tank market
Professor Casin’s assessment extends far beyond national defence. He argues that the Altay will “transform Türkiye from a regional military power into a global defence exporter.”
“Just as HURJET and Türkiye’s unmanned aerial vehicles have drawn international demand,” he says, “buyers will soon queue up for the Altay. Türkiye will enter three major markets — the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific — with countries like Vietnam already showing interest.”
The Altay’s export potential could be staggering.
Casin predicts that “Türkiye will rise from tenth to fifth place in the global defence industry rankings” once serial production begins. “Thousands of tanks could be sold worldwide,” he says, “and that will place Türkiye among the world’s top five arms-producing nations within a decade.”
With the Altay, Türkiye’s military will be equipped for urban warfare, amphibious operations, and joint land-sea-air missions — particularly enhancing the capabilities of the Aegean Army Command.
The tank’s periscope system allows it to cross water bodies, offering a tactical flexibility unmatched in the region.
Each new iteration, Casin believes, will bring refinements and technological advancement: “With every version, our know-how expands. The Altay is not just a tank — it’s a living, evolving system.”
For the military expert, Altay represents both pride and conviction.
“Türkiye has achieved the impossible. Just as we built the ATAK helicopter and the KAAN fighter jet, we have now built a national tank that will guard our sovereignty and inspire the next generation. It is not only a weapon but a concept — a fast, powerful, autonomous steel cavalry.”
He credited President Erdogan’s vision for indigenous defence development as the driving force behind this transformation.
“His strategic emphasis on local and autonomous systems,” Casin says, “has been the engine of Türkiye’s success.”
