Turkey's armored vehicles make inroads in Africa

Turkish defense and automotive firm Katmerciler continues to expand its footprint in Africa, with its latest success being a new contract to provide 118 armored vehicles to Kenya.

"Our Hızır 4x4 Tactical Wheeled Armored Vehicle has been hailed all over Africa. Our expansion in the African market continues," said Furkan Katmerci, the deputy chairman of the company.

He said Kenya will be the third country in the world to acquire Katmerciler's armored vehicles, adding that the firm aims to complete the delivery over two years.

With a high level of ballistic and mine protection, the Hızır 4x4 is designed and optimized for high performance under extreme operational conditions in rural and urban areas for nine personnel, read a description posted on the firm's website.

"We believe our exports will continue to rise as more of our vehicles are used in Africa and their visibility increases," Katmerci said.

Katmerciler exported a total of 989 vehicles and related equipment around the world last year, according to company data.