The protocol will document the conformity of the platforms by providing supervision of Türk Loydu to the tests within the scope of the helicopter platform (heliport, helideck) certificate / licensing requirements to be carried out by HeliPlat experts in Turkey and abroad. In this way, all helicopter platforms to be used in the defense industry will be able to obtain the conformity documents without being foreign-dependent.

Türk Loydu Foundation President Cem MELİKOĞLU, General Manager of Türk Loydu Conformity Assessment Services, Lütfü SAVAŞKAN and Türk Loydu executives together with HeliPlat General Manager Fuat AKPINAR, Administrative Affairs Manager Mehmet ERCAN and HeliPlat employees attended the cooperation protocol signature ceremony on 17 January 2019.

At the ceremony, after the presentation regarding the process manufacturing and licensing of all helicopter platforms to be made within the scope of civil aviation, especially in the defense industry, as well as regarding the consultancy that they have provided for this process, HeliPlat General Manager Fuat AKPINAR noted the following words: “In order to produce and use domestic and national products in all fields in line with our country’s target, HELİPLAT and Türk Loydu have signed a strong cooperation agreement in order to indigenize and test the Helicopter Platform certification materials together. In the field of Civil Aviation, especially in the Defense Industry, this agreement has been an important step for our country and for us to eliminate foreign dependency. It will be our greatest goal to guide the Middle East and Turkic Republics in this regard while eliminating the foreign dependence of our country in this area.” 

Relaying information also on the founding purpose of HeliPLAT, Fuat AKPINAR said, “HeliPLAT Ltd. Şti. was established with 100% domestic capital on 11 March 2016 in the Tuzla/Istanbul region in order to become a solution partner in the certification / licensing process of Helicopter Platforms with its General Manager, who is a Helicopter Trainer certification inspector and has served in the Naval Forces Command for more than 25 years, as well as with its experienced personnel. During this period, it has been our greatest goal to provide all kinds of consulting services to the certification / licensing processes of helicopter platforms with professional solutions starting from the design stage in the military platform projects both in the country and abroad, the projects of the Presidency of Defense Industries being in the first place, and within the scope of the General Directorate of Civil Aviation projects, to execute tests appropriate to the national and international standards in this process and to create safe helicopter landing areas (heliport / helideck) by providing appropriate training.” 

Türk Loydu Foundation Chairman Cem MELİKOĞLU touched upon the importance of the indigenization moves in recent years in Turkey and the activities carried out in accordance with international standards especially in military areas, and he stated that the national institutions have increased their know-how and experience and developed the sectors to which they belong by this accumulation in a way to eliminate foreign dependency. Cem MELİKOĞLU also stated that HeliPlat recently carried out helicopter platform certification and training activities on the Türk Loydu Class Submarine Rescue Mother Ship (MOSHIP), Rescue and Towing Ship (KURYED), Seismic Research Vessel and Amphibious Ships, and there are fully domestic and national expert organizations that can provide high quality services in these areas.