Turkish industrial group OYAK is producing military-grade HY-100 steel domestically for Turkey’s MILDEN national submarine project, according to OYAK General Manager Murat Yalcintas.
Yalcintas said global suppliers often restrict exports of steel of this grade, making domestic production important for achieving the deep-submergence capabilities required for submarines. HY-100 is a high-strength steel with properties that allow submarines to operate at greater depths, he said.
The steel is produced domestically using iron ore extracted in Turkey and processed at local facilities. OYAK is also developing high-performance armored and structural steels for domestic defense platforms, including the Altay main battle tank, armored vehicles and naval warships.
These steel grades can also be used in heavy civilian applications such as mining equipment and electric vehicle manufacturing, according to Yalcintas.
OYAK is additionally upgrading its Romanian plant to produce ultra-thin electrical steel sheets with a thickness of 0.1 mm, using high-grade steel refined at Isdemir’s new vacuum treatment facility in Turkey. Yalcintas said the investment would make Turkey one of five to six countries capable of producing steel of this grade, quality and thickness.
The group is also investing in autonomous land vehicles for heavy logistics and agricultural applications alongside defense uses.
Oyak’s industrial operations span steel, chemicals, cement, energy, and automotive. Through its primary steelmakers Erdemir and Isdemir, Oyak ranks among Europe’s leading steel producers.