We held the Turboshaft Testing and Subsystems Workshop for making use of the domestically available facilities and capabilities in maximum for the TS1400, the first domestic and national helicopter engine being developed.
"Turboshaft Testing and Subsystems Workshop" was held on February 10, 2020 in the TEI Premises in Eskisehir, under the auspices of the Secretariat of Defence Industries (SSB) and as hosted by TEI and supported by the Erciyes Teknopark.
The said Workshop was attended by Ozdemir Cakacak, the Governor of Eskisehir, Yakup Ertas, the Head of the Engines and Power Transfer Systems Department of the Secretariat of Defence Industries, Prof. Dr. Mahmut F. Aksit, the Chairman and CEO of TEI, and also the executives from the SSB and the universities as well as the representatives of the companies in the private sector.
Ozdemir Cakacak, the Governor of Eskisehir, who made a speech at the ceremony, said; "Our country has been making a great progress in a wide range of industries covering education, health-care, transportation, industry, trade and tourism, in particular the defense industry, during the recent years. We, too, are advancing and growing in parallel with our country as a result of such progress. Eskisehir is one of the notable home bases of our country in respect of exportation of high technology products, in particular the rail systems and aerospace. Our institutions such as TEI, which have succeeded in making vital investments, contribute to the economy of and the employment in our country by doing good job of great value each time. We, as Turkey, are located within the most notable geographies of the globe. Considering our history, we have made tremendous efforts to have this land our homeland and remain as such during each era of the history. It is not easy to remain standing at this land. The people of this country must be self-sufficient in every sense. If we cannot be a self-sufficient nation, we would become dependent on others. Now, Turkish defense industry has become capable of manufacturing 70% of what it needs, particularly under the leadership of our Esteemed President of the Republic. If God pleases, the name of TEI will become more prominent for much more notable and well-favored works in the time to come. This nation is capable of doing anything in unity and solidarity. This is what is expected from this workshop. If God pleases, this nation and this state will reach what they deserve by accomplishing the targets for 2023 and 2071, as based on the unity and solidarity of our industrialist.", and he wished success to all of the company representatives who have attended the workshop.
Yakup Ertas, the Head of the Engines and Power Transfer Systems Department of SSB, who has held the floor at the ceremony, said; "We are holding this kind of workshops, if and when so required, during the course of the Turboshaft Engine Development Project, we have initiated as being the SSB, and this one is the second workshop, we held for our project. During the course of this workshop, we will be in search of finding out how we could benefit from the industry to cover the other subsystems, mainly the testing infrastructures, and how we could turn those into domestic products. I would like to thank you for being here, principally to the entire industry, and I wish that the talks and meetings be with good results."
During his speech, Prof. Dr. Mahmut F. Aksit, the Chairman and CEO of TEI said; "We are holding our second workshop as part of our project, and if God pleases, we will conduct the engine delivery ceremony instead of our third workshop, now the time for that is getting closer. During our first workshop, we had very fruitful talks and meetings with the representatives of more than 200 companies, and we wish to have our talks and meetings specialized some more at this workshop. We want to satisfy our requirements for the engine testing systems and engine subsystems by making use of our domestic and national resources. I regard today as an outstanding opportunity for our naturalization and nationalization moves. Today, we will also have one on one interviews over 200, and I wish that all of such interviews be an opportunity to bring the favorable results, and also that our national helicopter will fly also by making use of the parts manufactured by you."
Following the speeches delivered, each of Bedriye Cicioglu, the Turbine Systems Manager of the SSB, and Dr. Mehmet Demiroglu, TEI Turboshaft Project Director gave a presentation about the project and the workshop.
With the aim of ensuring that the said project is continued by enhancing the domestic and national resources for the TS1400, the first national helicopter engine of Turkey; the bilateral negotiations held at the workshop, which was held under the auspices of the SSB and together with TEI, the prime contractor of the said project, for the purpose of satisfaction of the requirement for the subsystems and the testing infrastructures by making use of the domestic and national resources, constituted a key milestone of progress as part of the Turboshaft Engine Development Project which is continued for the purpose of satisfying the need for the engine of the GOKBEY helicopter, which was initiated in 2017 and is being developed as part of the Original Helicopter Program, by making use of the domestic resources.
