Invest News DetailVatan - Commercial vehicles producer MAN considers Türkiye a strategic supply base, according to their CEO, George Pachta-Reyhofen. The Volkswagen (VW) Group subsidiary’s Ankara plant serves as the major center of development for the company’s bus line. Visiting Türkiye for the commemoration of the 45th year of MAN’s presence in the country, Pachta-Reyhofen said that Türkiye had been designated as a research and development (R&D) center in 2010. MAN CEO also hinted of a locally-designed bus entering production within 24-36 months. “We plan to market a Turkish-manufactured low-cost bus for the domestic and regional markets,” said MAN’s CEO. Regarding the company’s first-half financial highlights, Pachta-Reyhofen said that orders had increased by 22 percent, while the turnover reached EUR 7.9 billion with an 18 percent rise in the first six months of 2011, compared with the previous year. Founded in 1966, MAN’s Ankara plant in central Türkiye is the company’s first production site outside Germany. The company’s interurban and city buses manufactured in Türkiye are currently exported to 41 countries.