Defence Turkey: Mr. İkinci, first of all thank you very much for your time for the interview.   In 2006 STM made a significant expansion in the maritime sector with the MİLGEM project.   During this process the main objective was “to create a dedicated team that will take an active role in the field of military shipbuilding industrialization and lead the national industry in this direction”. Can you share some insight with our readers about the achievements over last 13 years in terms of staff, technological infrastructure and knowhow in line with this target?

Murat İKİNCİ: This process began with the MİLGEM Project which was initiated by the vision of the Turkish Naval Forces Command and through the determination and responsibility of the Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB). With the MİLGEM Project, naval projects have become one of STM’s leading fields of activity, and within a structure that did not previously exist in the private sector in Turkey in the field of engineering, all of which has been created by STM.