Turkish military to receive first locally made rifle

By Goksel Yildirim and Bahattin Gonultas

ANKARA

Turkish troops are to receive the initial batch of the army’s first locally produced assault rifle on Wednesday, a source at the manufacturer said Tuesday.

The MPT-76, which is being introduced to replace the German-origin G-3 rifle, will be distributed to 500 soldiers following development by the state-run Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation (MKEK), a company source said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.

The company began production in Kirikkale, central Turkey, in 2015. The MPT-76 -- named for the Turkish acronym of National Infantry Rifle and the caliber of its 7.62 millimeter NATO round -- is billed as being as “effective as the G-3, reliable as the AK-47 and practical as M-16.”

It has an effective range of up to 600 meters and is capable of firing 600 rounds per minute at a muzzle velocity of 800 m per second.

As well as the G-3, the Turkish military also uses the Russian-made AK-47, and the introduction of the MPT-76 is part of a program of introducing domestically manufactured arms to bolster the Turkish defense industry and reduce dependence on foreign manufacturers.

It is expected to save large sums of money and become a stepping stone for further development of other weapons, the MKEK official said.