President Gül has toured Nurol Holding affiliate FNSS Defense Industry’s Riyadh facilities where Saudi Arabia’s armored vehicles are being modernized. FNSS with two separate projects will modernize 600 M113 vehicles. M113’s are being modernized. President Gül together a delegation also including Defense Minister Gönül, Transport Minister Yıldırım and State Minister Tüzmen have toured Saudi Arabian Ground Forces Al Kharj facility operated by FNSS company since 2004. Gül: My daughter did her internship at FNSS. I know what it is capable of doing. Saudi Arabian Deputy National Defense Minister Prince Halit Bin Sultan drew President Gül’s attention to what FNSS has accomplished by showing him two vehicles, one old, one modernized. Gül said that his industrial engineer daughter did her internship at Ankara FNSS and also said that may be he (meaning Nurol boss Nurettin Çarmıklı) does not know about this. I know quite well what FNSS is capable of doing. President Abdullah Gül who is visiting Saudi Arabia, State Minister Kürşad Tüzmen, National Defense Minister Vecdi Gönül and Minister of Transport Binali Yıldırım visited FNSS Defense Systems facilities at El Hare industrial zone, some 100 kms from Riyadh. The Saudi Deputy Defense and Aviation Minister Prince Halit escorted Gül. Al Kharj facilities where armored vehicles named M113 used by the Saudi Arabian Ground Forces are being modernized and is operated by FNSS Defense Systems Co. since 2004. The company is an affiliate of Nurol Holding of which Mr. Nurettin Carmıklı is the chairman of the board. According to the officials at FNSS the company has undertaken the modernization project of 300 M113 vehicles for a period of six years. The duration of the USD210 million project will come to an end in August 2010. While training the Saudi personnel in Ankara and bringing in personnel from Turkey, FNSS has modernized each M113 for USD700 thousands. Again, a new 300-vehicle project, and this time with a budget of USD330 millions has been approved. Before leaving, President Gül announced that important discussions will be held in this field while stressing the importance of a cooperation by the two countries in the defense sector.