Koç Holding Honorary Chairman Rahmi M. Koç, making an inaugural speech in the ceremony, said he believes that Turkish mega yacht and shipbuilding industry to have shown a significant progress from 2000s until now, will occupy an important place in the world by continuing its development. Koç said: “As regards to the ships that we will produce fort he Coast Guard Command, we are taking a crucial step in private sector combat ship building. As a result of this experience, I believe that we will have a new opportunity in the world markets regarding military ships as well as merchant ships” pointed out that they are aiming to develop their own technology in military ship building and, moving further, to succeed in this sector with their own brands. Koç, stating that Defense Industry activities started in the 1980s by producing as Koç Group 4x4 tactical and armored vehicles in co-operation with Otokar, said the activities have today taken a serious form with Otokar, RMK Marine and ultimately Koç Information Group TSK Information System project. Koç stated: “Thanks to moving to domestic supply in shipbuilding projects, national contribution rate will rise and external dependency will have been reduced and we will show the success of edging towards exportation”

Kudret Önen, Chairman of Koç Holding Defense Industry and Other Automotive Group, pointed out in his speech that Koç Group has been producing for the Turkish army for almost 20 years and as RMK Marine, they have always encouraged the idea of the private sector to build ships for Naval Forces. Önen continued as follows: “Thanks to this project, I believe that, apart from producing the ships needed by our Coast Guard Command, we will have an important role in the development of combat ship building by the private sector. Within the scope of the project, the design and production of important military systems such as Command Control System software, electro-optical director, communication systems, gyro, and consoles will be realized domestically. We are aiming that our domestic industry will make further expansion to new opportunities and that human resources of our sector be developed. “

RMK Marine, developing its technological infrastructure, human resources and infrastructure possibilities day by day with its understanding of serving the best service to the Ministry of National Defense, is planning to deliver “Dost”, the first Coast Guard Search & Rescue Ship, in 2011 while ships named as “Umut”, “Ya?am” and “Güven” are planned for delivery in 2012. The ships, apart from their tasks of search and rescue, will also operate in fields such as patrol, smuggling prevention, fire extinguishing and pollution prevention.

RMK Marine was the first shipyard to have undertaken the greatest combat ship project in the history of the private sector by winning the “4 Coast Guard Search & Rescue Ships” tender, launched by the Ministry of National Defense for the Coast Guard Command in 2006. The contract of the tender was signed in 2007. RMK Marine had previously built two military logistical ships named as TCG Alb. Hakk? BURAK and TCG Yzb. ?hsan TOLUNAY and delivered them to Turkish Naval Forces in 2000. RMK Marine is aiming to develop its knowledge and experience that it gained from these projects in the Coast Guard Search & Rescue Ship Project.