Toyota's Turkish Plant Begins Exports

Tokyo―TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (TMC) announced today that Toyota Motor Manufacturing Turkey, Inc. (TMMT) has started exporting TMMT-made Corollas, establishing itself as a strategic Toyota manufacturing center in Europe.

TMMT, which has been producing Corollas as a TMC subsidiary since 1994, expects to ship abroad over 40,000 Corolla sedans and station wagons annually to 22 countries, mainly in Europe.

At an export-launch ceremony at TMMT's Adapazari Plant (130km east of Istanbul), TMC Executive Vice President Yoshio Ishizaka, in charge of TMC's overseas operations, said, "We are certain that the success of this project will not only benefit Toyota, but contribute to the Turkish economy and the automobile industry as well." Mr. Ishizaka also praised the "hard working spirit" of the Turkish people and expressed TMC's goal to have TMMT running at full capacity as soon as possible.

Top-ranking national and local Turkish government officials, as well as Japan's ambassador to Turkey, also participated in the ceremony.

With its new role as producer/exporter, TMMT joins the ranks of Toyota Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd. and Toyota Motor Manufacturing France S.A.S., as Toyota continues to expand its European presence. Including production for domestic consumption, TMMT will build 47,000 vehicles in 2002.