Turkish drones have also appeared on several Turkish military offensives in Syria in recent years. They were deployed alongside Turkish-backed government forces in Libya. And late last year, the world saw Turkish drones in action in the Azerbaijan-owned Nagorno-Karabakh region against the Armenian army.
“Our drones are the best in their class in the world right now,” says Haluk Bayraktar, beaming with pride. “They make tens of thousands of flying hours per month and have proven themselves on the battlefield within and beyond our borders.”
The drone program fits in with Turkey’s ambition to become militarily self-sufficient. President Erdogan has invested heavily in his own arms industry over the past ten years. With the aim of being as independent as possible from foreign countries, so that it can survive in the event of arms embargoes or sanctions.
Turkish drones decisive in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
The war in Nagorno-Karabakh is also seen as the ‘breakthrough’ for Turkey’s drone industry. Azerbaijan could not have won the war so easily if it did not have Turkish (and Israeli) drones. Turkey has come under criticism from Western NATO allies. Turkey entered a long-running conflict in the Caucasus, supporting a controversial regime in Azerbaijan. The European Union has voted for sanctions against Turkey. Canada therefore stopped selling parts that Turkey uses to make the drones.
But the Nagorno-Karabakh war also had another effect. Several countries saw for the first time what Turkish drones had in their homes and lined up to buy them. Turkey sold more drones in the past year than ever before. To countries such as Turkmenistan, Qatar and Morocco, but also to Ukraine. Poland is the first NATO country to order Turkish drones. It was recently announced that Latvia has also shown interest.
“This conflict was a prime example of how Turkish technology is capable of taking on Russian weapons systems on the Armenian side,” said Sine Ozkarasahin, defense expert at EDAM think tank. “This is therefore also important for NATO.”
Drones as a means to increase influence
Armed so-called killerdrones are changing the nature of war worldwide. They are cheaper and more manoeuvrable than combat aircraft. Moreover, there is less risk for the pilot, because he is at a distance. The more countries that have drones, the more other countries want them too.
“Turkey is filling a gap in the market,” says Ozkarasahin. “They offer decent, but also cheaper drones than, for example, the United States. The US has also always been hesitant to sell its drone technology for fear of spreading. Turkey is willing to do this.”
Turkey is putting geopolitical relations on edge with drones. “It is a political means for Turkey to increase its influence in the region,” Ozkarasahin said. “It is also a message to the world: to show that Turkey is a strong military country that can compete with major powers.”
There is no ethical debate about the desirability of military drones in Turkey. It is mainly pride that predominates. “People are proud that we use these kinds of technologies to protect our own sovereignty,” said Haluk Bayraktar. “Ten years ago we tried to buy drones from other countries. And now look, we are self-sufficient, and we even export.”
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