EJDER YALÇIN: Nurol Makina’s 4×4 Armored Vehicle — Specs, Turkish Service and Exports Explained
Nurol Makina’s EJDER YALÇIN 4×4 is arguably the Turkish protected-mobility vehicle with the broadest export footprint, now serving from North Africa to Central Asia and inside the European Union, where Hungary fields it as the Gidrán.
| Builder | Nurol Makina |
| Turkish users | National Police and Gendarmerie (per SSB); Land Forces per open sources |
| Program status | Company-funded design in series production since 2014 |
| Exports | Tunisia, Hungary, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Senegal, Malaysia, Morocco, Chad and others |
| Local content | No official figure; Turkish design, armor and IP |
| Debut | Pre-prototype at IDEF 2013 |
What Is EJDER YALÇIN?
The vehicle distilled lessons from Nurol’s heavier EJDER 6×6 into a nimbler 4×4 that could survive mines and IEDs while carrying a full squad. It is offered in more than a dozen mission fits, including command and control, anti-tank, air defense, reconnaissance, medical evacuation, CBRN reconnaissance and mortar carrier. In 2021 it completed qualification with ASELSAN’s 120 mm ALKAR automatic mortar, extending the family into organic fire support.
Technical Specifications
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | 4×4 armored combat vehicle with MRAP-level protection |
| Gross weight | About 14 t |
| Capacity | 2 + 9; up to 12 depending on configuration |
| Engine | Cummins diesel, about 375 hp, automatic transmission |
| Speed / range | 120 km/h / about 700 km |
| Mobility | 60% gradient, 30% side slope, 1.1 m trench, 1.1 m fording |
| Protection | All-welded steel armor up to STANAG 4569 Level 4; mine, IED and side-blast protection |
| Armament options | Manual turret or RWS (7.62/12.7 mm, 40 mm AGL); ATGM, air defense, 120 mm ALKAR mortar |
Figures come from Nurol and open sources and vary by customer fit. A 1.1 m fording and trench-crossing capability is notable for the class.
Who Builds It and Program History
Design work started in the fourth quarter of 2012. A pre-prototype appeared at IDEF 2013 and series production began in May 2014, with 12 vehicles delivered that year; early Turkish contracts covered 50 for the armed forces and 11 for the police. That gives the program a production history of about twelve years.
SSB’s September 2026 briefing note from its Land Vehicles Department lists EJDER YALÇIN under the security and logistics vehicles directorate with NUROL as contractor and EGM and Gendarmerie as users, but publishes no contract milestones, consistent with a company-funded product.
Turkish Service and Deliveries
The vehicle has been used heavily by police special operations and Gendarmerie units in counter-terrorism operations. Official quantities are not published. Open-source compilations cite 417 for the police, 200 for the Gendarmerie and more than 360 for the Land Forces; these are unconfirmed. Anadolu Agency reported in December 2017 that about 500 vehicles were in service across Turkish, Tunisian and Qatari forces, with another 500 on order.
Exports
Tunisia ordered 70 in February 2017 and received them that year. On October 26, 2017, during President Mirziyoyev’s state visit, Nurol signed a memorandum with Uzbekistan for 24 direct-purchase vehicles plus 1,000 to be co-produced with UzAuto. Qatar was an early customer and Senegal selected the vehicle in 2018.
Hungary gave Nurol its first EU contract in 2019 for 10+40 vehicles, fielded as the Gidrán, followed by a 56-vehicle order in early 2025 and plans for local production through a joint venture. Malaysia bought 20 SARP-armed vehicles, known as Panthera, for its UNIFIL contingent in 2022. Open sources also list Morocco, Chad, Burkina Faso, Niger and Tanzania. Nurol says around 1,800 of its vehicles serve in at least 15 countries.
Trade Show Appearances
After the IDEF 2013 pre-prototype, the mature vehicle was shown at IDEF 2015 alongside the EJDER KUNTER armored truck, then at Eurosatory 2018 in Paris with the NMS 4×4. The extended-wheelbase EJDER YALÇIN EWB debuted at IDEX 2025 in Abu Dhabi.
Local Content and Key Subsystems
No official local-content figure has been published. Hull design, welded steel armor and integration are Nurol’s own, and the design authority is Turkish, which is what made licensed production in Hungary and Uzbekistan possible. Open sources identify a Cummins diesel as the powerplant; ASELSAN supplies SARP remote weapon stations and the ALKAR mortar.
Global Counterparts
The obvious comparison is the Oshkosh M-ATV, which offers similar protection but seats fewer troops. Plasan’s Navigator and the Arquus Bastion are other peers. EJDER YALÇIN’s strengths are a full squad in the back, deep fording and a proven willingness by Nurol to transfer production, a factor that helped it win in an EU and NATO member state.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who builds EJDER YALÇIN?
Nurol Makina.
Which Turkish forces use it?
The national police and Gendarmerie per SSB, with the Land Forces also cited in open sources.
What is the Gidrán?
Hungary’s designation for EJDER YALÇIN; local production is planned through a joint venture.
How many troops does it carry?
Two crew plus nine in the standard layout, up to twelve in some configurations.
Featured photo: Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB)
Sources
- SSB Land Vehicles Department program briefing note, September 2026
- Nurol Makina – EJDER YALÇIN 4×4 product page
- Wikipedia – Nurol Ejder
- Anadolu Ajansı – Ordular Ejder Yalçın’la güçleniyor
- Defence Turkey – 1000 Ejder Yalçın sale to Uzbekistan
- Calibre Defence – Nurol Makina and its export success
- Daily Sabah – Ejder Yalçın retrofits new mortar system
- Defence Turkey – Nurol Makina displayed Ejder Yalçın 4×4 at IDEF’15
- MilitaryLeak – Eurosatory 2018: Nurol Makina presents Ejder Yalçın and NMS 4×4
- Army Recognition – Ejder Yalçın EWB at IDEX 2025
- Wikipedia – Gidrán (vehicle)
