Turkey’s state-run Makina Ve Kimya Endustrisi Kurumu/Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation (MKEK) have announced that non-commercial military exports of their new MPT-76 rifle have begun. Turkish news site Hurriyet report that MKEK have already secured a number of foreign contracts for the new 7.62x51mm, select-fire rifle.

450 MPT-76s have already been delivered to the Somalian military who are currently engaged in counter-insurgency operations against al-Shabaab. A further 2,500 rifles have been ordered by Turkey’s satellite state the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus to equip the Güvenlik Kuvvetleri Komutanlığı (Security Forces Command).

MPT-76 (source)

The Turkish Army received the first MPT-76s back in January 2017, with 3,200 rifles delivered so far. In Turkish service the MPT-76 will replace the indigenously made G3A7 and G3A7A1 rifles currently in service. MKEK are joined by two other Turkish defence companies: Kalekalip and Sarsilmaz, in production with the companies due to deliver a combined total of 45,000 rifles by 2018/19.

MKEK boast that the MPT-76 is as ‘effective as the G-3, as reliable as the AK-47 and as practical as the M-16.’ It weighs 4.1 kg (9.04 lb) unloaded and represents an ergonomic improvement over the G3-pattern rifles currently in use – including ambidextrous controls. MKEK have also developed a 5.56x45mm carbine, the MPT-55. There is no word yet an any potential civilian export of the MPT-76.

Edit: Rifle weight corrected, previously stated as around 7lbs, this was an earlier reported weight.