Turkish commercial vehicle and defense manufacturer Otokar has announced the opening of a subsidiary in Romania (Otokar Land Systems) after it won, in partnership with local company Romtehnica, a contract worth EUR 857 million (VAT excluded) for over 1,000 4X4 armored vehicles with the Ministry of Defense.

According to the contract, most of the vehicles (COBRA II 4x4) will be manufactured locally in Romania.

"The company will carry out local activities and provide added value in Romania," Otokar said, as quoted by Economedia.ro.

Otokar is part of the Turkish holding company KoçZer, which already operates in Romania the Ford Otosan plant in Craiova and the home appliances producer Arctic in Gaesti (refrigerators, washing machines).

At the end of last year, İbrahim Aykut Özüner, Otokar's general manager, stated that, in 2025, the Romanian business will be the most important. 

"Within a year, we will produce and send 278 vehicles (COBRA II) here," he said.

More than 70% of Otokar's sales are exports.

iulian@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Otokar)