24th Ordinary Meeting of SaSaD’s General Assembly Held

Minister of National Defence İsmet Yılmaz, Deputy Minister of Science, Industry and Technology Davut Davranoğlu, Undersecretary for Defence Industries Murad Bayar, Deputy Undersecretaries of the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Economy and Chairman of Ankara Chamber of Commerce Nurettin Özdebir, OSTİM’s (Organized Industrial Zone) Chairman of the Board Orhan Aydın, TSKGV’s (Turkish Armed Forces Foundation) General Manager Hayrettin Uzun and SaSaD Members of the Board attended the meeting which was participated and conducted by 118 members of SaSaD. 

In his speech at the meeting, the National Defence Minister İsmet Yılmaz said, “Despite the recession observed in the defence expenses around the World after the global crisis (the very first decrease in 2011 compared with the observed prices of 2010 and 0.2% increase seen in real prices), Turkish Defence and Aerospace Industry’s total annual turnover increased to the figure of 4,8 billion US Dollars (growth of 9% compared to the turnover of 2011 which was 4,4 billion US Dollars) and export of this industry rose to 1 billion and 262 million US Dollars (from the level of 1,089 billion US Dollars’ worth export in 2011 the growth is 14,7%) and these figures indicate the national and international success of this sector”.  Yılmaz mentioned that the sector invested 772 million and 751 thousand US Dollars (200 million of this figure is covered from the equity capital) in R&D and added that an increase of 15% compared with the former years’ figures (672 million US Dollars) was observed. Yılmaz stated that the number of indigenous products entering into the inventory of the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) has been increasing day by day and this contributed to the export potential of the sector players and added that he did not have any concerns about the sustainment of sector’s performance in the future years. Following National Defence Minister İsmet Yılmaz’s speech, Phillipp Reuter, Director of Frost and Sullivan Turkey made a presentation on the Advanced Technologies and Developing Markets of Defence and Aerospace. 

At the 24th Ordinary Meeting of SaSaD’s General Assembly, several successful defence companies have been awarded prizes by the Undersecretariat for Defence Industries based on their 2009-2010 and 2011 performances.  FNSS Defence Systems was awarded with the first prize for its high performances in labor productivity, R&D and Supply Chain Management where Aselsan took the second prize and TAI was rewarded the third prize as a result of the evaluations based on the 2009-2011 years balances, profit and loss account statements and sectorial performance. The following companies which have been effective in various areas of Defence and Aerospace Industry during 2012 have been presented the “Special Industry Award” by the Undersecretariat for Defence Industries: A-TEL with its success in “Vehicle Jammer Systems Export to Qatar”, Dearsan with its achievement in  “New Type Patrol Boat Export to Turkmenistan”, Meteksan Defence for its accomplishment of “Development of Piezoelectric Ceramics used in the Wet-End of  Naval Sonar System consisting of Transducer Arrays Project”, Anadolu University for its success of “Development of Piezoelectric Ceramics used in the Wet-End of Naval Sonar System consisting of Transducer Arrays Project” and Nanotech for its attainment in “Development of Piezoelectric Ceramics used in the Wet-End of  Naval Sonar System consisting of Transducer Arrays Project” were given the “Special Industry Award”. 

Following the award ceremony, election for the executive board was made at the General Assembly meeting. After the election, the presentation of 2012 Progress Report of the Executive Board, Balance and Loss and Profit Accounts Statements, presentation of the report of the Board of Auditors and Acquitting of the Board Members and auditors were accomplished and annual budgetary proposal for May 2013/April 2014 period was handled. Then all the topics in the agenda of the General Assembly were put to vote and they were anonymously accepted.  At the conclusion of the meeting, the ceremony for the handover of presidency took place as well and Vice President Kudret Önen became the President as the successor of Cengiz Ergeneman who has been the SaSaD’s Chairman of the Board for the past year.