Turkish Aerospace Industries Names New President & CEO

13.01.2017 Europe

Turkish Aerospace Industries Names New President & CEO

According to the decision taken by the Board of Directors of Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. (TAI) on October 21, 2016, Temel Kotil has been appointed to the President & CEO of TAI.

With the same decision, former President & CEO Muharrem Dörtkaşlı was appointed as consultant to the Chairman of the Board of Directors of TAI.

Born in 1959, Mr. Kotil graduated from Aeronautical Engineering Department at Istanbul Technical University (ITU) in 1983. He received his Ph.D. degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in 1991. After founding and managing the Aviation and Advanced Composite Laboratories of ITU, he also served as chair and associate dean of Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics Engineering.

He served as the Head of Research Planning and Coordination Department in Metropolitan Municipality of Istanbul.

Going to the US for a second time in 2001, he served as Guest Professor in the University of Illinois, followed by a position of Research Engineer in Advanced Innovative Technologies Inc., in Troy, New York, between 2002 and 2003.

Dr. Kotil started his career with Turkish Airlines in 2003, as the Deputy General Manager in Turkish Technic, Inc. He became the CEO of Turkish Airlines in 2005. Dr. Kotil has served on the Board of Governors of IATA since 2006. In 2010 elected as a Board of Governors of Association of European Airlines (AEA) and became Vice President between the years of 2012 and 2013. Soon after, Dr. Kotil has been appointed as the President of AEA in 2014.

He was appointed as CEO and President of Turkish Aerospace Industries as of October 21, 2016.

Married with 4 children, Mr. Kotil has authored many articles and publications in the aeronautical science journals, and papers in seminars and conferences.

Turkish Aircraft Industries Corporation (TUSAS) was established on June 28, 1973 under the auspices of the Ministry of Industry and Technology in order to reduce the foreign dependency in defense industry in Turkey.

With the decision of meeting the combat aircraft requirement of Turkish Air Force (TurAF) with F-16s, TUSAS Aerospace Industries, Inc. (TAI) was established by Turkish and US partners in 1984 for a period of 25 years with the aim to realize the manufacture, systems integration and flight tests of F-16 that would be delivered to TurAF.

TAI was restructured in the year 2005, just before the 25 years of period came to an end, with the acquisition of foreign shares by Turkish shareholders. Along with this restructuring, TAI and TUSAS have merged under the roof of Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. (TAI) and have broadened its activities. Today, known as Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. (TAI) has become Turkey's center of technology in design, development, modernization, manufacturing, integration and life cycle support of integrated aerospace systems, from fixed and rotary wing air platforms to UAVs and satellites.

TAI, which ranks among the top hundred global players in aerospace and defense arena, based its business on five strategic pillars: