MOSCOW, May 27. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia’s leading car maker GAZ will launch the production of Gazelle Next light commercial vehicles (LCV) in Turkey, chief executive of main shareholder Russian Machines Manfred Eibeck told ITAR-TASS.

Vehicles compliant with the European Euro-5 standard will be produced and distributed in cooperation with Turkish car manufacturer and distributor Mersa Otomotiv. The two companies are already partners in semi-knocked-down assembly of Gazel Business vehicles in Sakarya, Turkey.

GAZ takes up to half of Russia's LCV market, exporting Gazel Next to former Soviet countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Cuba, Southeast Asia and North Africa. The company has achieved Euro-5 standard and obtained a certificate for sales in Europe, Eibeck said.

The group's press office confirmed to ITAR-TASS that it had proved compliance with 43 security requirements and obtained 113 international certificates, including 74 for components. The group is now negotiating a sale and servicing system with potential distributors in several European Union countries. Sales are due to start at the end of 2014.

In 2013, GAZ exported 15% more vehicles than a year earlier, a total of 16,400 models accounting for about 17% of total sales. Exports grew as sales increased in CIS countries, Southeast Asia, North Africa and the Middle East.

GAZ has 18 plants producing cars, trucks, buses, heavy equipment and car components. It also manufactures cars for America's General Motors and Germany's Volkswagen and Daimler.