Star – Sumitomo Rubber’s newly completed tire factory in Türkiye’s Central Anatolian province of Cankiri has commenced production of radial passenger and light truck tires. The USD 520 million investment realized in partnership with Abdülkadir Ozcan A.S (AKO) will manufacture 10 million tires per year, primarily for export markets.
“Sumitomo Rubber AKO plant in Cankiri is a significant contribution to regional employment and our country’s exports. We are proud to have assisted in this project right from the beginning,” said Investment Support and Promotion Agency of Türkiye (ISPAT) President Arda Ermut during the ceremony held to mark the first production run.
With the plant reaching operational stage, Türkiye has become the strategic supply base of Sumitomo for reaching the emerging markets in the Middle East, North Africa, and Russia, according to Sumitomo Rubber AKO CEO Norifumi Fujimoto. Thanking ISPAT for its assistance at every stage of the project, Fujimoto said that the Turkish plant would cut down transportation costs and time to the surrounding markets.
The plant will employ 2,000 people once fully operational, and will also supply tires to Japanese auto manufacturers Toyota and Honda’s production operations in Türkiye.