Who Founded HAVELSAN? Under Which Government?

HAVELSAN was founded in 1982. The company was set up, initially as the foreign-partnered “HAVELSAN-Aydın”, to support the high-technology radar and electronic systems of the Turkish Air Force. The year of its founding, 1982, falls within the period of the government of Bülent Ulusu, the prime minister of the era after 12 September 1980; Kenan Evren was head of state. This article looks at who founded HAVELSAN, when, and under which period, based on open sources.

For a general profile see What is HAVELSAN?, and for ownership, Who owns HAVELSAN?

Who founded HAVELSAN?

HAVELSAN was not the initiative of a single individual but a company established by the state to meet the needs of the Turkish Air Force. Its first structure in 1982 was formed together with a foreign partner under the name “HAVELSAN-Aydın”, with the aim of maintaining and supporting the Air Force’s radar and electronic systems. So the answer to the question of the company’s “founder” is not a person but the Turkish Armed Forces ecosystem and the defence need of the period.

Under which government was it founded?

The year HAVELSAN was founded, 1982, coincides with the term of Bülent Ulusu, prime minister in the period after 12 September 1980. During this period Kenan Evren served as head of state. The year the company became a wholly national entity, 1985, coincides with the premiership of Turgut Özal. In other words, HAVELSAN’s founding and its nationalisation spread across two successive government periods.

HAVELSAN became an indigenous defence-software institution over the years — With its 1985 nationalisation, HAVELSAN became an indigenous defence-software institution. Source: HAVELSAN

From founding to nationalisation

Established as a foreign-partnered company in 1982, the firm separated from its foreign partners in 1985 and became a wholly national entity, with the great majority of its capital transferred to the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation (TSKGV). This step was the turning point that transformed HAVELSAN from a joint venture into an indigenous defence-software institution. Today about 98 percent of the company’s capital belongs to TSKGV.

HAVELSAN founding profile

Year founded	1982
First name	HAVELSAN-Aydın (foreign-partnered)
Founding purpose	Turkish Air Force radar/electronics needs
Government of the era	Bülent Ulusu government (head of state Kenan Evren)
Nationalisation	1985 (premiership of Turgut Özal)
Current principal shareholder	TSKGV (~98%)