Turkish Pistol Manufacturers and Brands Explained
Searches such as “Turkish pistol brands”, “Turkish gun manufacturers list” and “türkische Pistolenhersteller” show strong interest in who makes Turkish handguns. The answer is a small group of private companies that have grown into major exporters over the last two decades, alongside a state-owned manufacturer.
How we compare the manufacturers
We do not rank pistols by effectiveness or say which is best to buy. Each manufacturer is described using the same documented criteria:
- Founding date and base
- Main pistol families
- Stated export reach
- US and European market channels
- Documented military or police adoption
- Breadth of the wider product range
The main Turkish pistol manufacturers
| Manufacturer | Founded / base | Main pistol families | Stated export reach | US channel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarsılmaz | 1880 / Düzce | SAR9, SAR 7/24, K12, B6, P8, K2-45, Kılınç 2000 | 80+ countries (2026) | SAR USA |
| CANiK (Samsun Yurt Savunma) | 1998 / Samsun | TP9 series, METE family | 60+ countries (company) | CanikUSA with Century Arms |
| TİSAŞ (Trabzon Silah Sanayi) | 28 May 1993 / Trabzon | Zigana, Fatih, Kanuni and 1911-pattern models | Not published | Sold in the US under the TİSAŞ brand |
| GİRSAN | 1993–94 / Giresun | MC28, Regard MC, MC9, 1911-pattern models | 55+ countries (company) | Imported by EAA Corp |
| MKE (state-owned) | Est. 1950 as MKEK; MKE A.Ş. since 2021 / Ankara | Mainly rifles, machine guns and ammunition | Not published | — |
Last verified: 30 September 2026. Founding years and export claims are those stated by the companies; GİRSAN’s founding year is given as 1993 or 1994 in different sources.
Company profiles
Sarsılmaz
The oldest of the group, with roots in an 1880 repair workshop. Its SAR9 family is the flagship. The company also makes steel-framed pistols, a revolver, rifles and machine guns, which gives it the widest range among Turkish private makers. Its documented institutional users include the Galveston Police Department in Texas (SAR9 SOCOM). Full details are in our Sarsılmaz guide and SAR9 guide.
CANiK
CANiK is the brand of Samsun Yurt Savunma (SYS), founded in 1998. CANiK-branded pistols appeared in 2005, and the CanikUSA partnership with Century Arms followed in 2010. The TP9 series made CANiK one of the most visible Turkish brands in the US civilian market. The company has reported that SYS ranked as the third-largest pistol exporter to the US by value in one reporting period. See Sarsılmaz vs Canik for a direct comparison.
TİSAŞ
Trabzon Silah Sanayi was founded in Trabzon on 28 May 1993 and produced its first pistol, the 7.65 mm Fatih 13, in 1994. Its Zigana family followed in the early 2000s, and the Zigana T was accepted into the Turkish Armed Forces inventory in 2004. TİSAŞ is also known internationally for 1911-pattern pistols.
GİRSAN
GİRSAN is based in Giresun on the Black Sea coast and produces pistols and shotguns. Its Regard MC is a Beretta 92-pattern pistol and its MC28 series is a striker-fired design. In the US, GİRSAN pistols are imported by EAA Corp. The company says it delivers to more than 55 countries.
MKE
Makine ve Kimya Endüstrisi is Türkiye’s state-owned arms and ammunition producer. It became a joint-stock company, MKE A.Ş., in 2021. It is the designer of the MPT-76 national infantry rifle and the KNT-76 marksman rifle. Its role in the handgun market is smaller than that of the private manufacturers above.
Which Turkish pistols are used by the military and police?
| Pistol | Manufacturer | Documented institutional use |
|---|---|---|
| Zigana T | TİSAŞ | Accepted into Turkish Armed Forces inventory, 2004 |
| SAR9 family | Sarsılmaz | Reported Turkish National Police use; SAR9 SOCOM adopted by Galveston PD, Texas (2024) |
| TP9 / METE family | CANiK | Company reports institutional users abroad; no single official list published |
Turkish manufacturers do not publish complete customer lists, and many export contracts are confidential. The table therefore shows only what can be checked.
Turkish pistols in Europe
In European search data, Turkish pistols appear mostly under civilian and sporting intent. Italian queries such as “pistola turca canik”, “girsan” and “tisas”, Polish queries for “pistolet turecki canik” and German queries for “türkische Pistolenhersteller” all point to a civilian market served through national importers. We have not found an official European military or police pistol contract awarded to a Turkish manufacturer. That is where European incumbents such as Glock, Heckler & Koch, Walther, CZ and Beretta remain dominant.
For a spec-level comparison with the Austrian benchmark, see SAR9 vs Glock 17 and Glock 19.
Frequently asked questions
What are the main Turkish pistol brands?
Sarsılmaz, CANiK, TİSAŞ and GİRSAN are the best-known Turkish pistol brands. The state-owned MKE is mainly a rifle and ammunition producer.
Which Turkish pistol maker is the oldest?
Sarsılmaz, whose roots go back to a gun-repair workshop opened in Elazığ in 1880.
Are Canik and Sarsılmaz the same company?
No. CANiK belongs to Samsun Yurt Savunma (SYS), founded in 1998. Sarsılmaz is a separate Düzce-based company.
Who imports Turkish pistols into the United States?
SAR USA imports Sarsılmaz, CanikUSA (with Century Arms) handles CANiK, and EAA Corp imports GİRSAN pistols.
Does the Turkish army use Turkish pistols?
Yes. TİSAŞ’s Zigana T was accepted into Turkish Armed Forces inventory in 2004, and Turkish-made pistols are used across Turkish security forces.
