International interest in unmanned aerial vehicles “Baikraktar”, which are already exported to Turkey in 13 countries of the world, continues to grow, writes agency France Press.
The publication notes that the reputation of Turkish drones considerably strengthened after the second Karabakh war, when they helped Azerbaijan to restore control over their territories occupied by Armenian forces.
The article states that Ankara is already selling UAVs to such countries as Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Libya, Syria, Poland, Morocco, Ethiopia, as well as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Poland, Tunisia and Iraq.
After the visit of the Turkish president of Recep Tayyip Erdogan to African countries in October of this year, the country intends to strengthen economic ties, as well as positions in the defense sector in Africa.
“Along with trade and cooperation, Turkey intends to develop the positions of his defense sector in Africa, and expects the question of its combat drones in this matter,” the publication says.
Ankara already has military bases in Somalia and Morocco, and in September Tunisia received his first combat drones. Angola, in turn, intends to get at its disposal “Bayraktara”.
“Wherever I went to Africa, everyone talks to me about drone,” the President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan, spoken by him, according to the results of the tour in Angola, Nigeria and Togo.
According to the publication, Turkey is not going to limit defense cooperation with African countries only selling weapons, ammunition or vehicles. As an example, a plan for the modernization of the Togolese army, carried out with the support of Turkey. In addition to weapons, Ankara provides the country for military training and mine clearance machine.
“Turkey gradually expanded its influence in Africa through a network of 37 military offices on the continent, which is aimed at achieving President Erdogan’s goal to triple the annual trade volume with the continent to 75 billion dollars in the coming years,” concludes the publication.