Practically from the moment Ankara joined the North Atlantic Alliance, the Armed Forces of the Republic of Turkey on a regular basis mainly acquired German-made small arms, namely rifles of the G3, G33 and G36 models manufactured by the German company Heckler and Koch, most of which fully met the requirements of the Turkish military. Some units of the Turkish Armed Forces received American-made M16 assault rifles, and after the collapse of the USSR, the Turkish side was able to purchase automatic weapons of the AK brand in various countries.
G33 Assault Rifle
This diversity has led to a complication of logistics and supply processes, since a significant number of different replacement parts are needed to maintain the suitability of such a variety of small arms, and in addition, there is a certain discrepancy in ammunition requirements.
G36 Sniper Rifle
Observers of the Chinese specialized military-technical publication "Science and Technology of the Military-Industrial Complex" note that the current President of the Republic of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has been fully contributing to the process of modernization and unification of small arms in the national Armed Forces since taking office. Turkish military analysts have prepared an exhaustive document for their leader, which examines all aspects of the use of small arms in modern armed conflict, military or special operations, as well as provides requirements and comments on existing models of automatic assault rifles, and notes the importance of placing full-fledged production of small arms on the territory of the Turkish Republic.
As you know, the development and production of small arms in the Republic of Turkey is handled by the company MKEK (Makina ve Kimya Endüstrisi Kurumu), whose designers established partnerships with the German company Heckler and Koch back in 2007. The main goal pursued by Turkish gunsmiths was to borrow experience in the development of modern and highly effective small arms, since the products of German specialists are well—deserved respect and demand among the military personnel of the Armed Forces of NATO member countries.
HK 416/417 Assault Rifle
Currently, the modular assault rifle model 416/417 from Heckler & Koch is in the greatest demand among the armies and special forces units of the member countries of the North Atlantic Alliance. Several types of barrels have been developed for this rifle, and there is also a wide range of additional /attachments that allow each serviceman to adapt personal weapons to himself and customize them for specific tasks for a certain period.
The Turkish military drew attention to the fact that the 416/417 rifles were adopted by the units of the US Armed Forces and it was this model of small arms that was used by American special forces as part of Operation Geronimo to eliminate the head of the Al-Qaeda group (banned in Russia) Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.
It was the rifle model 416/417 that became the basis for the development of MKEK designers under the designation MRT-76. The designation of this model indicates that Turkish specialists chose a 7.62 x 51 mm (308Winchester) cartridge as the main ammunition, which is standard for the Armed Forces of NATO member countries simultaneously with a 5.56 x 45 mm (223 Remington) caliber.
MPT-76 rifle of the Turkish Armed Forces
It should be noted that Turkish gunsmiths have developed a variant of the rifle under the designation MRT-56 for the second caliber, but this version is not intended for combat operations, but for training and export supplies.
The choice in favor of a heavier munition was made by the Turkish military due to the peculiarities of the terrain of Turkey and Syria, as the most likely theaters of military operations. These two countries are characterized by mountainous and desert terrain. The first one is characterized by a height difference between the shooter's position and the target, and the second one has large distances between two points.
To conduct effective fire in such conditions, a munition with a higher pulse than 5.56 x 45mm is required. Due to the higher charge of gunpowder and weight, the 7.62 caliber bullet allows you to destroy some natural obstacles or overcome them with a greater guarantee of maintaining the required trajectory.
Chinese experts openly declare that the 7.62 x 51 mm caliber cartridge is optimal for fighting in mountainous conditions. When using a special version for sniper rifles, military personnel can hit targets at a range of up to 800 (and in some cases up to 1000) m, which is practically inaccessible if a 5.56 x 45 mm ammunition is used.
According to the Chinese edition, the barrel of the MRT-76 rifle was made by cold forging, which allowed to achieve a resource of 20 thousand shots, and cleaning the barrel can be carried out with an interval of 3 thousand shots. In order to reduce the weight of weapons, aluminum alloys and composite materials were widely used. With a total length (sliding stock) of 920 mm, of which 410 mm is the length of the barrel, the weight of the rifle is 4.1 kg.
Another advantage of the MRT-76 rifle is a translucent magazine with a capacity of 20 rounds, which can be explained by the physical and psychological characteristics of the Turkish Armed Forces. The maximum rate of fire is 650 rounds/min.
Chinese experts believe that the Turkish designers listened to the demands of military personnel who had to repeatedly come into fire contact with the enemy (Kurdish units) in mountainous areas, since it is the firepower of the unit that plays a decisive role. This circumstance plays a key role, provided that it is impossible to attract tactical or army aviation due to bad weather conditions, which is quite normal for mountainous regions.
MPT-76 rifle with attachments
Chinese gunsmiths note that Turkish designers have provided for the installation of a significant amount of attachments on the MRT-76 assault rifle and for this purpose placed several Picattini slats on the forearm of the weapon. The latter allow you to place day and night optical sights, tactical flashlights, laser designators with infrared illumination and handles of various models.
In addition, the designers of the Turkish company AKDAS (located in Konya) have developed a 40 mm AK-40GL grenade launcher, which can be used to complement the assault rifle in question and increase the combat capabilities of the unit's personnel.
AK-40GL grenade launcher
Chinese experts point out that under-barrel grenade launchers became widespread after key small arms manufacturing countries conducted an analysis of the actions of the US Armed Forces in the framework of the first war in Iraq.
Taking into account the above, it seems possible to assume that the designers of the Turkish company MKEK will continue to work on the creation of production lines for the production of other types of small arms, since the Turkish Armed Forces still acquire a significant share of small arms from foreign manufacturers, which does not contribute to ensuring the military security of the state.
Based on the materials of the Chinese specialized military-technical publication "Science and Technology of the military-industrial complex"