When and Why Was ASELSAN Founded? Its History and Milestones
Short answer: ASELSAN was founded on 14 November 1975 by the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation (TSKGV) to meet the Turkish Armed Forces’ military communications needs with domestic resources. The main reason for its founding was the dependence on foreign supply exposed by the arms embargo the United States imposed after the 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation. The company’s name is the abbreviation of the Turkish for “Military Electronics Industry.” Its first campus was established in Macunköy, Ankara, and in its early years the company focused on producing military radios.
Why was ASELSAN founded?
The embargo imposed after the 1974 operation showed how dependent Turkey was on foreign supply for critical communications and electronic systems. ASELSAN was founded to break that dependence and give the Turkish Armed Forces a national, secure communications capability.
The meaning of the name
ASELSAN = Askeri Elektronik Sanayi (Military Electronics Industry).
ASELSAN history — milestones
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1975 | Founded by TSKGV on 14 November; Macunköy facilities |
| 1978 | First sales contract with the Ministry of National Defense for 10,221 radios |
| 1979 | First radio product manufactured (under a technology-transfer license) |
| 1980 | First export: radio sale to Belgium |
| 1987 | First avionics device for the F-16; technology transfer to Pakistan |
| 1990 | 15.30% of shares offered to the public; entry to Borsa İstanbul |
| 1993 | Second campus at Akyurt entered service |
| 1997 | The “1919” mobile phone: Turkey among the first 9 countries to make its own phone |
| 2006 | Entered the Defense News Top 100 for the first time (97th) |
| 2013 | The non-defense UGES sector group was established |
| 2024 | Order backlog reached 14 billion dollars |
Frequently Asked Questions
In what year was ASELSAN founded?
14 November 1975.
Who founded ASELSAN?
The Turkish Armed Forces Foundation (TSKGV).
Why was ASELSAN founded?
To reduce the dependence on foreign supply created by the post-Cyprus embargo and to give the Turkish Armed Forces a national communications capability.
When did ASELSAN make its first export?
In 1980, with a radio sale to Belgium.
What does the name ASELSAN mean?
It is the abbreviation of the Turkish words for “Military Electronics Industry.”
