Turkish firm to manufacture 10,000 assault rifles

By Muhammed Ali Gurtas

ANKARA (AA) - A mass production agreement for Turkey's first locally designed and produced assault rifle has been signed with a local company, said the country's Defense Industries Undersecretariat Friday.

"10,000 MPT-76 will be manufactured by Sarsilmaz Silah Sanayi under the assault rifle supply project," the undersecretariat said in a written statement.

The statement said the MPT-76 assault rifles, whose design and development were done entirely locally, will be delivered to the land, naval, and gendarmerie forces, adding:

"During the mass production period, it is primarily targeted to meet the needs of the Turkish Armed Forces plus all of Turkey's allies."

The MPT-76 is meant to replace the German G-3 rifles used by the country’s armed forces, reduce dependence on foreign manufacturers, and develop further weapons.

The first group of 500 rifles was delivered this January.

According to the state-run Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation (MKEK), the assault rifle has an effective range of up to 600 meters and is capable of firing 600 rounds per minute at a muzzle velocity of 800 meters per second.

The MPT-76 -- named for the Turkish acronym for “National Infantry Rifle” and the caliber of its 7.62 millimeter NATO round -- is described by the MKEK as effective as the G-3, reliable as the AK-47, and practical as the M-16.

Sarsilmaz Silah Sanayi, a prominent Turkish firearms manufacturer, is an official pistol supplier to the country's police and armed forces. The company has been also operating as an aviation industry subcontractor.