Defence Turkey: Dear Mr. Kotil, first of all we would like to thank you for your time. In the last quarter of 2016 you were appointed as the President & CEO of Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. (TAI) of which you were a board member. As a professional of this sector, what are your assessments regarding the Turkish Defense and Aerospace Industry since the time of your assignment?

Before I provide my assessment I would like to underline a certain point. The publication of magazines focusing on defense began in the 1970s. The reason that I became an aircraft engineer in 1979 is due to these magazines. The emergence of these sectoral magazines is a result of the establishment of Turkish Aircraft Industries Corporation (TUSAS) by the Deputy Prime Minister of that time Mr. Necmettin Erbakan in 1973. The establishment of TAI as per the related law and the boom of Turkish industry along with the subsequent publication of such magazines through sponsorships are the initial motivators of the youth at that time, to select careers in aviation.