Turkish military to receive first locally made rifle

By Goksel Yildirim and Bahattin Gonultas

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish troops are to receive the initial batch of the army’s first locally produced assault rifle on Wednesday, a source at the manufacturer said Tuesday.

The MPT-76, which is being introduced to replace the German-origin G-3 rifle, will be distributed to 500 soldiers following development by the state-run Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation (MKEK), a company source said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.

The company began production in Kirikkale, central Turkey, in 2015. The MPT-76 -- named for the Turkish acronym of National Infantry Rifle and the caliber of its 7.62 millimeter NATO round -- is billed as being as “effective as the G-3, reliable as the AK-47 and practical as M-16.”

It has an effective range of up to 600 meters and is capable of firing 600 rounds per minute at a muzzle velocity of 800 m per second.

As well as the G-3, the Turkish military also uses the Russian-made AK-47, and the introduction of the MPT-76 is part of a program of introducing domestically manufactured arms to bolster the Turkish defense industry and reduce dependence on foreign manufacturers.

It is expected to save large sums of money and become a stepping stone for further development of other weapons, the MKEK official said.