Tire brand
Petlas
Petlas is a Turkish tire manufacturer founded in 1976, originally to produce military aviation tires.
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Brand profile
Petlas is a Turkish tire manufacturer founded in 1976, originally to produce military aviation tires. Now owned by the AKO Group (Abdulkadir Özcan), the company covers a very broad range: passenger, light truck and SUV, heavy truck, agricultural, off-road, industrial and aviation. Its production is concentrated at its plant in Kırşehir, in central Anatolia.
Positioning: Multi-segment Turkish manufacturer: passenger, SUV, heavy truck, agricultural, off-road and industrial.
History
Petlas (Petlas Lastik Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş.) was established on August 19, 1976, as a Turkish state economic enterprise. Its creation stemmed from an international embargo imposed on Turkey following the 1974 military intervention in Cyprus: cut off from tires for its military aviation, Turkey decided to build domestic production. The plant's first products were therefore tires for fighter aircraft, and aeronautical and military tires dominated operations during the first two decades. Civilian production then developed, but the company remained state-owned until a privatization process that unfolded from 1990 to 1997. The major turning point came in 2005, when Petlas was acquired by the Abdulkadir Özcan Group (AKO Group). Under private ownership, the company transformed itself: from a maker focused on military and aviation tires, it became a diversified commercial producer strongly geared toward exports. The lineup expanded to radial passenger tires, light truck and SUV, heavy truck (TBR), radial agricultural, off-road (OTR), industrial, forklift and specialty tires, while retaining its expertise in civil and military aviation. The head office is in Ankara and the main industrial complex in Kırşehir, on a site of roughly 2 million square meters employing about 5,000 people, with a capacity of around 13 million tires per year. In 2023, an announced investment of roughly 360 million dollars targeted a new plant adjacent to Kırşehir, intended to raise total capacity beyond 24 million tires, with a sharp increase in passenger/light truck and heavy truck volumes. In North America, Petlas is expanding: in 2018, the brand named Oriente Tire as the exclusive distributor of its passenger tires in the United States, and its agricultural and off-road tires are present there as well. In Canada, the brand is available through online retailers (Tire.ca) and regional dealers, notably in the West for the agricultural segment.
Technologies
Petlas's passenger and SUV lineup relies on silica-enriched rubber compounds to improve wet grip and reduce rolling resistance. The treads combine wide circumferential grooves (often three or four) to channel water and limit hydroplaning, Z-shaped sipes that bite into the road for winter braking, and asymmetric tread patterns on the higher-performance models. Computer-controlled pitch sequencing reduces road noise and improves comfort. On the heavy truck and light truck side, reinforced shoulders and wear-resistant compounds aim for longevity. In the agricultural segment, R-1 and R-1W radial architectures provide a wide footprint that reduces soil compaction and improves flotation.
Innovations
Petlas's heritage in military aeronautics, demanding in durability and safety, feeds into its civilian engineering. The brand has extended its 3PMSF certification (three-peak mountain snowflake) to several products, including the Explero PT411 A/S, attesting to winter performance validated through standardized testing. Petlas is investing in expanding its agricultural and heavy truck (TBR) capacity, with a large-scale plant project in Kırşehir confirming a strategy of growth and modernization. Its off-road and industrial ranges, including tires for forklifts and construction equipment, reflect R&D applied to heavy-duty uses. Its diversification — from aircraft tire to tractor tire — illustrates a rare cross-cutting competence. The brand also emphasizes durability through compounds resistant to irregular wear and low rolling resistance that promotes fuel economy.
Manufacturing
Petlas's head office is in Ankara, Turkey, and its main production complex is located in Kırşehir, in central Anatolia, on a site of about 2 million square meters (including 450,000 m² covered) employing nearly 5,000 people, with a capacity of around 13 million tires per year. A major investment launched in 2023 adds an adjacent plant expected to raise capacity beyond 24 million tires. Petlas has no plant in Canada: the Quebec and North American market is served through export and distribution. In the United States, Oriente Tire has distributed the passenger tires since 2018; in Canada, the brand is available online and through regional dealers, mainly for the agricultural segment.
Reputation
Petlas positions itself as a budget brand offering good value for money. Tests and reviews generally praise the dry grip, high-speed stability and wear for the price on the sporty models, as well as decent snow traction for its winter tires. Wet performance is more variable depending on the model, a common point for tires in this category. In Quebec, its passenger and SUV winter or all-season tires certified 3PMSF (mountain snowflake) meet the provincial requirement from December 1 to March 15. For the agricultural and off-road segments, local relevance depends on regional availability and actual use in the field or on the worksite rather than on road winters.
Models and families
Related Petlas models
These families are presented for reference. Actual availability depends on the catalogue and sizes.