TOMTAŞ (Aircraft and Motor Turkish Joint Stock Company) was established in Kayseri as the first aircraft factory of Türkiye with a contract signed on August 15, 1925. The Republic of Turkey took an important step in the aviation industry by establishing this factory with a partnership of 51% from the Ministry of National Defense and 49% from the German Junkers company in the early years of the Republic. There was a lack of capital and technical materials in Turkey at the time. For this reason, it was decided to bring the necessary materials and equipment from Germany. Ships carrying materials and equipment departing from the Port of Hamburg would come to the Port of İskenderun and from there they would be brought to Ulukışla by rail. There was no railway in Kayseri at that time. Horses, camels and oxcarts were brought from Ulukışla to Kayseri, where the factory would be established, under great difficulties. Despite all these difficulties, the factory was opened and put into service with a ceremony held on October 6, 1926. In 1926, the first Junkers A-20 models were produced at the TOMTAŞ facilities in Kayseri.
TOMTAŞ Share Distribution in 1925
Although the process continued with the production of the F-13 model of the Junkers company, the German company Junkers transferred all its shares to the Turkish Aeroplane Society on June 28, 1928, due to reasons such as economic difficulties. On October 27 of the same year, TOMTAŞ was officially closed.
In 1930, the Turkish Aeroplane Society transferred the factory’s shares to the Ministry of National Defense. The factory continued production in 1932, taking the name Kayseri Aeroplane Factory. Until 1950, the factory produced more than 200 aircraft of various types and different features, including the German Junkers A-20, German Gotha 145, German Junkers F-13, US Curtiss Hawk, US Fledgling, Polish PZL P-24, British Magister model aircraft and gliders. However, in the late 1940s, due to surpluses in the aviation market after World War II and economic reasons, the factory stopped production. From 1950 on, it continued its activities as an Air Supply and Maintenance Center.
First Construction Images of TOMTAŞ Facilities
Aircraft (KFT) assembly activities at TOMTAŞ facilities
F-13s Produced at the Foothills of Mount Erciyes
TOMTAŞ Facilities (KTF) Winter View
Assembly of British Magister Aircraft
In 2020, a new study was initiated by Kayseri business people to re-establish TOMTAŞ, Turkey’s first aircraft factory in history, in the same city with the same name and to support the aviation ecosystem in the region. As a result of the studies, a joint venture agreement was signed with TUSAŞ, ASFAT, TOMTAŞ Investment Inc. and Erciyes Teknopark in 2022. Following this agreement, the official establishment of TOMTAŞ Aviation and Technology Inc. was carried out on January 26, 2023.
2022 Joint Venture Agreement Signing Ceremony