ISTANBUL – ANSWER. His drones Turkey in addition to being a source of significant revenue, they are also considered instruments of foreign policy. HOUR Anchor through various types of drones, it has contacts with various countries in Africa, Europe and the Caucasus, claiming their market. The most recent example of this policy is the sale of three Unmanned aerial vehicles TB-2 Bayraktar in Albania. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama expressed his satisfaction and stressed that “Tirana is on the same side with Turkey.”

The first sales of Turkish drones took place in 2012 in Qatar. These were small unmanned aerial vehicles that evolved into the TB-2. Qatar purchased 6 more TB-2s in 2018. The popularity of the Turkish Bayraktar has increased due to their export to Azerbaijan and their success in the Nagorno-Karabakh war against the Armenians. Baykar, owned by Erdogan’s son-in-law, has received orders for the successful TB-2 strike drone from at least 12 countries.

The Ukrainian forces made extensive use of the drone. The role of TB-2 in the sinking of the flagship of the Russian fleet “Moskva” and hundreds of armored vehicles and air defense units destroyed by it is seen as an advertisement for international markets. Morocco also ordered 13 Bayraktar TB-2s and 3 drone control centers. In Libya, the Tripoli government uses Turkish Bayraktars, but it is not specified whether they were provided by Ankara or bought in Libya.

One of the most impressive drone deals was in Poland. Turkish company Baykar has signed an agreement to sell 24 Bayraktar TB-2 aircraft and 4 control centers. Among the companies producing ANKA drones is the state-owned TUSAŞ. Specifically, this company does not announce the countries to which it sells drones, however, there are reports in the Turkish press about many countries on the African continent.

Meanwhile, Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the first flight of Bayraktar’s Kizil Elma unmanned fighter jet, which can stay in the air for about 5 hours. Justice and Development Party spokesman Omer Celik argued that “Kyzyl Elma will play a crucial and decisive role in protecting the Blue Motherland, where we face various provocations.” Mr Celik blamed Athens for “the Greek Foreign Minister and the Greek Prime Minister have spent the last year trying to sabotage the positive approaches that Turkey is putting forward.”