The Turkish defence industry is transforming from a structure that merely exports products into a global power that owns a military factory directly within the borders of the European Union. Otokar, Türkiye's leading land systems manufacturer, has made a strategic investment within the scope of its massive 1,059-unit armoured vehicle project in Romania. The company signed the acquisition agreement on April 29, 2026, taking over a 96.77 percent stake in Automecanica S.A., its production base in the country, for approximately €85 million. With this acquisition, Otokar has gained a massive 140,000 square metre military technology base located on NATO's eastern flank, capable of direct production to European Union standards.
140,000 Square Metre Base: Production to NATO Standards Has Begun
In global defence tenders, countries no longer merely purchase ready-made vehicles; they mandate the production of the technology within their own borders. To perfect the production phase of the Romanian tender, Otokar is bringing the process entirely under its own control with this acquired facility.
The Automecanica factory, located on a vast 140,000 square metre site in the city of Mediaș, has been completely modernised with the touch of Otokar engineers. The facility has gained infrastructure fully compliant with NATO production standards from top to bottom. All production stages, from cutting to welding, painting to final assembly, will now be carried out in this factory under the supervision of Turkish engineering. Notably, the fact that the project did not experience any delays while acquisition negotiations were ongoing stands out as a major success. On-the-job training programmes for Romanian workers and technical personnel have been completed. Initial production phases have begun at the factory, and the main assembly line is planned to become operational at full capacity starting from June.
270 Delivered Vehicles Have Been Deployed
Otokar's investment in Romania is based on the massive €857 million (approx. 4.26 billion RON) contract, Türkiye's largest single-item armoured vehicle export. Signed on November 27, 2024, this project entails the delivery of 1,059 units of the world-renowned COBRA II 4x4 Tactical Wheeled Light Armoured vehicles to the Romanian army.
Deliveries of the initial batch of vehicles, planned to be exported from Türkiye in the first phase of production, have already been successfully completed. As of today, more than 270 COBRA II vehicles shipped from Türkiye have entered the Romanian army's inventory and have begun active duty in the field. The remaining hundreds of armoured vehicles will be produced directly at this new Mediaș factory acquired by Otokar and then delivered.
A New Era in the European Market
The takeover of the Automecanica factory constitutes the most concrete proof of Otokar's vision as a business partner that develops the engineering capacity of friendly nations. Otokar General Manager Aykut Özüner particularly emphasises that with this acquisition, the company has transformed into an institution that manufactures armoured vehicles within the borders of the European Union.
This acquisition opens a strategic door far beyond just completing the 1,059-vehicle tender. With this factory in Romania, Otokar now possesses the identity of a European manufacturer. This identity will allow the company to enter future multi-billion dollar armoured vehicle tenders to be opened in the EU and NATO geography under much more advantageous conditions. Ultimately, Turkish land systems are carrying the leadership march, which they continue on the global stage with over 33,000 vehicles in nearly 50 countries, into the heart of Europe.
