The Cold War Origins of the Turkish Motor Vehicle Industry: The Tuzla Jeep 1954-1971

Abstract

With its automobile exports measured in millions of units annually Turkey has become one of the top automobile producing nations in Europe. The current state of the Turkish motor vehicle industry stands in contrast to its modest origins which can be traced back to the early years of the Cold War. In the 1950s a private company ventured into the business of assembling Willy's Jeeps in Turkey. The early developmental trajectory of the Turkish automobile manufacturing resembled the experiences of many other countries that resorted to import substitution to reduce foreign currency dependency for automobile imports. However it differed significantly from others in two ways. First it was not undertaken in response to a coordinated government policy but rather as a one-off private initiative. Second it was justified in the context of the Cold War military and strategic requirements. In other words it stands out among its contemporaries in terms of the prominence of military and defense considerations that shaped US and Turkish military views on a private venture during the Cold War. Although the Jeep assembly experience in Turkey ended in failure its products had remained in service in the Turkish Army for nearly 50 years surviving the Cold War and beyond. The experience also left its deep imprint on Turkey's pursuit of an indigenously designed and manufactured automobile.