The GE Aerospace Türkiye Technology Center, which has been granted R&D Center status by the Ministry of Industry and Technology, will conduct R&D activities focusing on advanced technologies such as sustainable propulsion. The opening of its new campus, which will bring together more than 440 researchers, marks a significant milestone for both Türkiye and GE Aerospace in civil and military aviation, advancing our country's innovations in engine technologies.

Dr. Aybike Molbay, General Manager of GE Aerospace Türkiye Technology Center, opened the ceremony with a brief speech. She highlighted GE Aerospace's recent transformation, stating, "We are very pleased and proud to have successfully completed our transition into an independent company." Molbay emphasized GE Aerospace's longstanding presence in the Turkish market, noting the introduction of J85 engines to the Turkish Air Force in the 1960s and their inaugural flight by Turkish Airlines in the early 1970s. She underscored their commitment to Türkiye, particularly through the establishment of TEI (established on January 9, 1985) in partnership with Turkish Aerospace in 1985. Molbay continued, "Since those early years, we have expanded GE Aerospace's operations in Türkiye, enhancing capabilities in engineering, software, innovation, R&D, and manufacturing. Today marks a significant milestone with the inauguration of the GE Aerospace Türkiye Technology Center (TTC).” 

Molbay continued his speech, stating, "TTC was established in 2000 in Gebze as the GE Marmara Technology Center, a place we've called home for 24 years that has both nurtured and strengthened us. In 2008, we formally branded the partnership between TEI and GE as TTC and began to assemble and expand our design team. By 2012, we had expanded our laboratories and transformed them into a major center, now another key facility in Gebze. Consequently, GE Aerospace has evolved into an organization that significantly contributes to the growth and success of global commercial aviation, software, and defense technologies, not only in Türkiye but across the globe. It is with immense pleasure that we inaugurate the new Kartal campus of TTC, where many of our engineers will continue the legacy that began more than a quarter of a century ago. I am proud to announce that our new campus houses approximately 400 GE Aerospace and 100 TEI engineers, showcasing its tremendous capabilities. This underscores TTC’s vital role as one of the main engineering hubs for GE Aerospace globally. Our center contributes significantly to global engineering efforts for engines like the GEnx, LEAP, GE9X, and Catalyst, along with their derivatives used in maritime, energy, oil, and gas applications. This marks it as a cornerstone of technological advancement for both GE Aerospace and Türkiye. In defense, TTC actively participates in Türkiye's KAAN and HÜRJET Projects, a point of pride for us. Moreover, TTC engineers are making significant contributions to reducing emissions, a key area shaping the future of aviation, through their involvement in CFM’s RISE Program. This program is set to develop engine technologies that are 20% more fuel-efficient and produce 20% lower carbon emissions compared to current commercial engines. In software, our teams are developing and updating ‘Software As A Service’ solutions utilized by GE Aerospace’s global customers. In addition to these initiatives, our Gebze laboratories continue to excel in areas such as 3D printing, material testing, production and repair process development, and part prototyping at our advanced manufacturing and repair workshop. The new TTC campus we inaugurated today will remain a center for development, innovation, and research, in collaboration with our local partners. I am immensely proud to serve as the General Manager of these exceptional facilities and this extraordinary team. We are incredibly fortunate to work alongside some of the most talented engineers in the country. As we celebrate our dedicated engineers, we also look to the future by inviting the next generation to join our Edison Engineering Program, run in partnership with Istanbul Technical University and Sabancı University.”

In his address, Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih KACIR announced that the Ministry would grant R&D Center status to GE Aerospace Türkiye Technology Center. He added, “In the next phase, we are ready to collaborate with GE Aerospace to establish our country as a global and regional production base.”

Minister KACIR continued his speech with the following remarks: "With the infrastructure we have developed in recent years and our skilled workforce, we are bolstering the position of global companies in manufacturing and supply chains day by day. We have the capability to manufacture all components of a passenger aircraft fuselage. Türkiye is among the few countries globally that manufacture aircraft engines and have the infrastructure to test all types of aircraft engine components. GE Aerospace plays a crucial role in this infrastructure, developed in collaboration with global leaders in our aerospace industry. In recent years, GE Aerospace has expanded its operations in Türkiye, demonstrating its confidence in our country's skilled workforce, value-added production, and vision for technology development. I also want to express my gratitude to Ms. Molbay, whom I have known for six years, and whose dedication to enhancing research, development, innovation, design, and engineering capabilities in Türkiye I have personally witnessed at every meeting. GE Aerospace has benefited from our TUBITAK Preliminary R&D Laboratories Support Program, aimed at facilitating innovative R&D activities for leading global companies in Türkiye. Through the Additive Manufacturing Technologies Research Laboratory at TUBITAK MARTEK, we promote the development of new technologies and products by integrating GE Aerospace's expertise in additive manufacturing parts and systems with our skilled workforce. Today, we inaugurate the new campus of GE Aerospace Türkiye Technology Center, dedicated to research and development across advanced technologies, including sustainable propulsion. I wish this center, bringing together more than 440 researchers, every success in advancing engine technologies and driving innovation in our country. I congratulate GE for this visionary and strategic investment.”

Following the speeches, a ribbon-cutting ceremony took place. Minister KACIR and the accompanying delegation then toured the new campus of the Türkiye Technology Center (TTC), where they received information about the ongoing activities from the officials.

During the facility tour, Alev Kaçar AKSONGUR, the Leader of Additive Manufacturing Technologies at the GE Aerospace Türkiye Technology Center, provided the following information to Minister KACIR:

“Additive manufacturing is a production method based on layering metal powder or metal wire on top of each other. We use this technology as a means of enabling production freedom in complex geometries, such as internal channel structures or multi-part geometries, which are difficult to produce using conventional methods. We have been working on additive manufacturing at the Türkiye Technology Center since around 2007. In fact, even before it became a widely adopted option in the industry, we were already deep into various engineering projects using both powder-fed and wire-fed additive manufacturing techniques. By 2017, with support from TUBITAK’s 1515 Pioneer R&D Laboratory Support Program, we established our Türkiye Additive Manufacturing Technologies Research Laboratory. There, we started working on laser powder bed fusion technologies. In 2022, GE Aerospace formally certified our processes. We are involved in sustainable aviation-focused programs like the RISE Program, working on the production and improvement of complex geometries such as heat exchangers. Our team here, comprising both Product Development and Production Development Engineers, is committed to advancing this high technology, used extensively in aviation. Every day, we strive to enhance our collective expertise and knowledge.”

In response to Minister KACIR's question about whether any patents have been developed in Türkiye's additive manufacturing sector, AKSONGUR replied, “Yes, we hold several patents and are actively pursuing more. Our engineers continually generate significant innovative ideas through our research and development efforts. These activities are ongoing and expanding.” Additionally, AKSONGUR highlighted that six of the eleven members of the Additive Manufacturing Technologies team hold doctoral degrees.

Engineer Tevfik ÜNAL, briefing Minister KACIR, mentioned that he has been working at the Türkiye Technology Center for over 14 years. Recently, he has taken on the role of a Systems Engineer, working on the integration of GE’s F110 and F404 Turbofan Engines for the HÜRJET and KAAN Projects. ÜNAL noted, "The F110 engine, as you may be aware, is a reliable powerhouse familiar to our Air Force, having logged over 10 million hours. The F404, on the other hand, is crucial to the U.S. Navy, powering the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and specifically designed for corrosive environments. Our primary task here is to ensure that the engine specifications and the air platform requirements are perfectly aligned. We focus on securing all connections, fasteners, transmission components, and subsystems under mechanical integration. In functional integration, our goal is to consistently deliver the required thrust for each flight hour of the platforms. In this context, we usually spend three to four months at Turkish Aerospace’s (TUSAŞ) Kahramankazan facility, where we receive exceptional hospitality from the staff and management. The advantage of sharing the same language and cultural background contributes to our effective collaboration. It is a source of great pride and joy for us, as Turkish engineers, to be part of these pivotal projects in the history of Turkish aviation.

GE Aerospace, an integral part of Turkish military and civil aviation for nearly 60 years, continues to play a crucial role in supplying engines and propulsion systems for both commercial and military aircraft. They are actively involved in projects such as TTC, HÜRJET, and the Turkish Fighter KAAN.

GE Aerospace Türkiye's research and development activities began with the establishment of the GE Marmara Technology Center in Gebze in 2000. Momentum increased with the agreement signed in November 2007 to establish Türkiye Teknoloji Merkezi (TTC). The permanent building of TTC was officially inaugurated on June 18, 2009, in the Technology Free Zone of TUBITAK Gebze Campus. In 2018, the GE Additive Technology R&D Center was established to focus on digital solutions, systems, and the development of engine components.

At the opening ceremony speeches of TTC in Gebze, the ultimate goal of the activities was announced as “to attain the knowledge and technology required to develop a national jet/turbofan engine.” Today, TEI has achieved the technological and knowledge level necessary to produce the indigenously designed TS1400 Turboshaft Engine, as well as the TF-6000 and TF-10000 Turbofan Engines. Since then, TTC has served as a vibrant center for aerospace engineering, fostering collaboration between TEI and GE Aerospace engineers in designing both commercial and military aircraft engines. At TTC, engineers from TEI and GE Aerospace provide design services not only for GE's existing engines under development but also for newly designed models. Significantly, TTC engineers actively contribute to CFM International's RISE (Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable Engines) Program, a joint venture between GE Aerospace and Safran, focusing on reducing emissions—a critical priority in shaping the future of aviation. The RISE Program aims to advance engine technologies to achieve 20 percent greater fuel efficiency and 20 percent lower carbon emissions compared to current commercial engines