Turkey’s Ministry of National Defense (MSB) held its weekly press briefing at Baykar’s Özdemir Bayraktar National Technology Center in Istanbul. The briefing outlined recent search-and-rescue operations supported by naval forces following maritime incidents, including the grounding of a passenger ship en route from Girne to Taşucu on August 30 and the collision of two commercial vessels in the Silivri approaches on September 2.
Why it matters
- Search-and-rescue efforts for sunken vessels are being supported by seven ships and eleven aircraft, as confirmed by MSB spokesperson Rear Admiral Zeki Aktürk.
- Baykar’s unmanned systems — including the TB2, AKINCI, TB3, KIZILELMA, KALKAN, KEMANKEŞ, and K2 — continue to enhance the Turkish Armed Forces’ reconnaissance, surveillance, and strike capabilities, with exports strengthening Turkey’s global defense presence.
- Additional updates included the surrender of three PKK militants, the apprehension of 575 individuals at border crossings, and the completion of a second-level bridge over the Euphrates River in Syria.
Rear Admiral Aktürk noted that Baykar’s systems have achieved significant milestones, such as the Bayraktar TB2 surpassing 1.25 million flight hours and the KIZILELMA becoming the world’s first unmanned combat aircraft to employ beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles. Since the start of the year, 9,655 individuals have been apprehended and 48,507 others prevented from crossing borders.
Why it matters for Turkey
These developments underscore the technological strength of Turkey’s defense industry and the operational effectiveness of its armed forces, while also reflecting Ankara’s commitment to regional cooperation and border security. Baykar’s export success, in particular, reinforces Turkey’s growing influence in the global defense market.
Source: MSB