In less than a week they got along Turkey two messages of opposite sign but connected. That Bayraktar TB2the drone produced by the President’s son-in-law’s company Recep Tayyip Erdoganbecame the unmanned aircraft most exported to the worldwhile the Institute of Statistics announced that theinflation in the country it has exceeded 80%. These two records say a lot about the priorities of the Erdogan government and the policies that the President has decided in recent years at home and abroad and their impact on the occasion of the Choose June 2023.
The first news was given to the press by Anadolu Haluk BayraktarManaging Director of Baykar, which not only announced the preeminence achieved by TB2, but also specified that exports now represent 98% of the company’s production, thanks to the numerous contracts signed with 24 different customers. To date, Baykar has sold 400 TB2 and 20 Akinci, but not all buyers’ names have been disclosed. Officially, Baykar’s drones are supplied to the Turkish Armed Forces – including the Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie, Police and Secret Service – and the largest foreign buyer is theUkraine, whose armed forces have at least 64 copies of Bayraktar TB2. But the list also includes Azerbaijan, TurkmenistanKyrgyzstan, Iraq, EthiopiaNigeria, Djibouti, Walkburkina faso, Rwanda, MoroccoLibya, Qatar and Polandwhile countries wait to get their hands on TB2 Indonesia, NigeriaOman, Angola, KazakhstanHungary, Latvia, SlovakiaAlbania, Bulgaria, Lithuania and Finland. Recently even the Romania Expressed interest in buying Turkish drones.
This turnover guarantees Baykar revenue from $664 million in 2020, which allows it to surpass even the public company in terms of export value Turkish Aerospace Industry. An important record that Baykar could beat in the future thanks to new contracts and marketing Kizilelmaa new drone equipped with a jet engine capable of the supersonic speedwith low radar detectability and for landing and taking off ships with short runways.
But the products of the Turkish company are not only important from a commercial point of view. Erdogan has managed to translate the success of Baykar’s drones into a tool for Expanding its influence abroad, especially in the African context. Several governments on the continent have recognized unmanned aerial vehicles as a useful tool in countering armed groups operating on their territory, and their interest has been focused on Turkish drones, which are cheaper and easier to use than American or Israeli ones.
However, this spread of Baykars products has been a long time coming the American Congress on alert. In July, some MPs called for the opening an investigation to understand why some American made components were used for the realization of TB2 and to ensure that this does not include a Violation of Export Laws you hate sanctions on military products. As the deputy said Tony Cardenas to ProPublica, answering these questions is now necessary given the destabilizing role played by the sale of Turkish drones in certain scenarios, particularly in relation to respect for human rights.
But the use of American components in the TB2s is also interesting for another reason. The company advertises its drones as products that are almost entirely home-made, so the presence of pieces made in the US, EU, and Canada partially undermines Baykar’s narrative. An important detail considering that Erdogan has made gaining autonomy for Turkey’s defense industry – public and private – one of his most important goals. The President aims to reduce dependence on foreign countries as much as possible and have no restrictions on the export of war products made in the country, which has a positive effect on the ability geopolitical expansion of Turkey. In fact, Erdoğan has repeatedly had to forego the sale of some armaments because of the arms sale US veto or other Western countries involved in the manufacture of the product to be exported lose not only important orders, but also opportunities to expand their influence. Hence the decision to invest in the creation of first native hunt fifth generation, the TF-Xand the advanced trainer and light attack aircraft, theHurjetand from Increase in defense budget. In 2019, the funds for this area amounted to $20.5 billion and after a slight decline in 2020-21, a new increase is expected over the next two years. An increase that will also benefit private or public-private companies involved in the war sector, given the government’s intention to purchase as much locally produced arms and armor as possible.
However, all of this is happening at a time when inflation is officially crossing the 80% ei threshold Basic necessities prices and energy they continue to grow, undermining the purchasing power of citizens and increasing the number of people living below the poverty line. Turkey’s geopolitical expansion seems to be the priority for Erdogan at the moment.