A senior leadership change has taken place at FNSS Defence Systems Inc., one of the leading land systems manufacturers in the Turkish defence industry. Selim Baybaş, known for the transformation projects he has led across various sectors including automotive, heavy industry, energy and finance, has been appointed as CEO and Board Member of FNSS. Baybaş has taken over these roles from Kadir Nail Kurt.
According to a statement by the company, Kadir Nail Kurt, who handed over his duties as of 1 January, made significant contributions to both FNSS and the Turkish defence industry through his 18 years of leadership at the company. Kurt began his FNSS career with the Armoured Combat Vehicles Project, one of the first projects of the Presidency of Defence Industries, and achieved many firsts during his tenure as CEO.
Under Kurt’s leadership, Türkiye’s first indigenously designed armoured land vehicles were inducted into service, and the development of critical platforms required by the Turkish Armed Forces, as well as friendly and allied countries, was led. Successfully managing the institutionalisation process, Kurt elevated FNSS to the position of one of the leading land systems companies with the broadest product portfolio in the sector, thanks to the emphasis he placed on R&D projects carried out with the company’s own resources.
Selim Baybaş, who has taken over the role, has more than 27 years of senior executive experience and has held strategic positions at major organisations such as DaimlerChrysler, Sabancı Holding, İnci Holding, Doğan Holding and Nurol Holding. With his visionary leadership, he has guided transformation and growth processes of companies across different sectors.
Baybaş served as CEO and Board Member of Nurol Teknoloji between 2019 and 2025. During this period, he led the company’s growth through new investments and strategic partnerships, managing a comprehensive transformation process in R&D, innovation, operational efficiency, sustainable profitability and exports. With the establishment of Nurol Technology USA in the United States in 2023 and the acquisition of Germany-based IndustrieKeramik Hochrhein (IKH) into Nurol Teknoloji, the company’s vertical integration strategy was successfully implemented.
Nurol Holding Vice Chairman of the Board, Oğuz Çarmıklı, made the following remarks regarding the appointment:
“This change is a natural part of FNSS’s long-term strategy, which includes strengthening its global presence, accelerating digital transformation and expanding its product portfolio. With his strong leadership vision and global experience, Selim Baybaş will make significant contributions to FNSS’s sustainable growth objectives.”
Roadmap for the New Era at FNSS
In his statements following the appointment, Selim Baybaş noted that FNSS has entered a transformation process fully aligned with Türkiye’s vision of becoming a regional power and the strategic objectives of the Turkish defence industry. Baybaş stated that this process will be built on the foundations of change, digitalisation, simplification and value creation through indigenous and national solutions.
Emphasising that thousands of FNSS vehicles actively operating in the field will continue to stand by their users under all conditions, Baybaş added that sustainable customer satisfaction, strong partnerships and a people-focused management approach will be the cornerstones of the new era.
