The “Bayraktar” has become so popular that Ukrainians now name their pets after the Turkish-made drone. Last month, the mayor of Kyiv announced that a newborn lemur at the city’s zoo would be named Bayraktar, and the foreign ministry tweeted a photo of another Bayraktar, a puppy at the police dog training center in Kyiv.
The drone’s success “isn’t just the ability to target the Russian military,” said Samuel Bendett, adjunct senior fellow at the Center of Naval Analyzes Russia Studies (CNAS). “It’s also a PR win.”
According to Bendett, the drone worked as expected, but it’s not “invulnerable.” Open source evidence suggests some may have been shot down by the Russians.
The drones “are part of the Ukrainian social media campaign, which is being carried out very well by the Ukrainian military and civilians,” he said. Videos of Bayraktar strikes went viral on social media and this is “a huge morale boost… [and] a great tactical victory.”
The TB2 and other unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) being developed in Turkey have put the country on the drone map along with the US, China and Israel, Bendett said.
Turkey, which has strong defense and economic ties with both Russia and Ukraine, has been wary of touting what has arguably become one of its most famous exports. Drone sales had been a major nuisance to Russia long before its invasion of Ukraine; Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, warned late last year that Turkish drones were “destabilizing” in the region. A senior Turkish bureaucrat told reporters Friday that Russia had repeatedly complained to Ankara about drone sales to Ukraine. “They used to complain, they’re complaining right now, but we’ve already given the answer…that is.” [from] a private company, and that purchase was made before the war,” he said at a briefing to foreign media.
Ukraine was the first country to buy the TB2 in 2019 and has ordered at least 36 drones so far. Last month, the Secretary of Defense announced the arrival of a new shipment of drones.
Selcuk Bayraktar, Baykar Technologies’ chief technology officer, prefers to talk about the technology behind his drones rather than politics. He is also the son-in-law of the Turkish president, who has become a key mediator between Russia and Ukraine during the war.
Bayraktar has heard the song dedicated to his drone of the same name and knows the social media phenomenon it has become in Ukraine, but he carefully meters his words when speaking about Ukraine.
“I think it’s one of the symbols of resistance, it gives them hope,” Bayraktar, an engineer and a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told CNN during a rare tour of the drone manufacturing facility in Istanbul last week.
“People are resisting and defending their homeland against illegal occupation and … if you want independence, you have to be able to stand up and resist, and I think that’s what the brave people of Ukraine and their leadership have done.” , he said. “At the same time, you need technology, you need your own indigenous defense capacity, but when people’s lives are at stake … I don’t want to compare that to any kind of technology.”
On display is the “Kizielma” (Red Apple), Turkey’s first unmanned fighter jet, which just rolled off the production line and is named after the expression in Turkish mythology that symbolizes the ideal – the goal one wishes to achieve. Bayraktar said it is expected to fly next year.
Industry experts say factors like cost make drones attractive.
“[The] Bayraktar TB2 offers an almost perfect price-performance ratio [and] has an affordable unit cost,” said Dr. Can Kasapoglu, Director of Defense Research at Turkey’s Center for Economic and Foreign Policy (EDAM). “TB-2’s competitors in the arms market are more expensive, come with more bureaucratic and political hurdles to procurement, or come with uncertain supply sustainability.”
The company did not disclose prices.
The drone is also battle-tested, which is a crucial criterion in arms deals, he said.
“When the music stops, TB2 are likely to deal more damage to the opponent than they take,” added Kasapoglu. “This is vital, especially for NATO’s eastern flank”.
Baykar Tech has signed deals with at least 19 countries, most of which have been signed in the last 18 months. Among the buyers is Poland, the only EU and NATO member that has ordered the UAVs.
According to the country’s state-run news agency, Turkey’s defense and aerospace industries recorded exports of more than $3 billion last year, a record.
“It is important to boost defense and aerospace exports to countries with which Turkey has strategic ties,” Haluk Bayraktar, CEO of Baykar and younger brother of Selcuk, told Anadolu Agency in January. “Beyond economic gain, arms exports also provide a suitable basis for building strategic relationships with the countries you export to.”
For Selcuk Bayraktar, this is not just a family business and a lifelong passion for technology. He said it was about ensuring his country’s independence and technological self-sufficiency.
“When I was in my 20s…you could say we’re going to be the best in football… [or] in the baklava, in the kebab, but nobody can say that we will develop a niche technology that will become famous worldwide.”
Celine Alkhaldi and Eyad Kourdi contributed to this report
More top Middle East news
Iranian lawmakers have set terms for the nuclear deal’s revival as authorities sanction 24 more Americans
Iranian lawmakers demanded a number of conditions for the revival of the 2015 nuclear pact with world powers, including legal guarantees approved by the US Congress that Washington would not back out of the deal, Iranian media reported on Sunday. Separately, Tehran imposed sanctions on 24 Americans on Saturday.
- Background: Negotiations to revive a 2015 nuclear pact have stalled as both Iran and the US blame each other for failing to resolve outstanding issues. Iran has also demanded that its elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps be removed from the US list of foreign terrorists.
- Why It Matters: As talks stall, increased Iran sanctions and more demands could jeopardize the chance of a final deal. Iran’s sanctioning of 24 other Americans, including former Army Chief of Staff George Casey and former President Donald Trump’s attorney Rudy Giuliani, could further limit talks in the negotiating room.
Saudi Arabia allows up to 1 million Hajj pilgrims as Covid-19 rules are eased
Saudi Arabia will allow up to 1 million Hajj pilgrims this year, expanding the holy event to visitors from outside the kingdom after two years of strict Covid-19 restrictions, state media said on Saturday.
- Background: This year visitors must be under 65 and fully vaccinated. Visitors from abroad must present a recent negative PCR test. Last year, the number of pilgrims was limited to 60,000 domestic participants.
- Why It Matters: One of the five main pillars of Islam, the Hajj in Saudi Arabia, received up to 2.5 million visitors before the pandemic and previously brought in about $12 billion a year for the kingdom.
Two Palestinian women have been killed in separate incidents as tensions remain high
Two Palestinian women were killed in separate incidents by Israeli forces on Sunday as tensions and violence between Israelis and Palestinians continue after weeks of attacks.
- Background: A 47-year-old widow and mother of six children was shot dead on Sunday “as she was crossing an Israeli military checkpoint near the West Bank village of Husan,” according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Israel Defense Forces said the woman “approached IDF soldiers” and did not stop when ordered, and was subsequently shot dead. Later on Sunday, another Palestinian woman was shot dead after stabbing a border policeman at the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron, according to an Israel Border Police spokesman.
- Why It Matters: Tensions have remained high as Israeli soldiers continue operations in the West Bank in the context of recent attacks in Israel that have killed 14 people in less than a month.
Around the region
The first Middle East World Exposition ended on March 31st. Over the course of six months, Dubai’s Expo 2020 hosted 192 countries and recorded more than 24 million visits. Now the focus is on what comes next.
In October, the 438-acre site will reopen as District 2020 — the name given to a new community that the District 2020 team says is focused on sustainability, smart technology and people-centric design. More than 80% of the buildings constructed for the Expo will remain part of District 2020 – including crowd favorites like Al Wasl Plaza, Terra, the Sustainability Pavilion, the Surreal Water Feature and the UAE Pavilion. It will have a capacity of up to 145,000 residents – a target the UAE hopes to achieve within the next decade.
Businesses are moving in too. District 2020 organizers hope to attract small and medium-sized businesses and 85 startups through their Scale2Dubai program. Large companies such as DP World, Siemens Energy and Terminus Technologies are also planning to open local offices.
District 2020 will remain connected to downtown Dubai through the newly built metro station and three major highways, but organizers say future residents will never have to leave the site. That’s because city planners designed it as a “15-minute city.” It’s a concept in urban planning that means that every place a person would ever need to go – be it a school, office, hospital, grocery store – is no more than a 15-minute walk or bike ride away.
Organizers are confident that District 2020 will continue to attract visitors and tourists. Al Wasl Dome plans to host regular concerts and shows, and the massive Dubai Exhibition Center will host major conferences throughout the year.
By Bijan Hosseini