Haluk Bayraktar

Türkiye's Bayraktar TB3 unmanned combat aerial vehicle before launch.

Türkiye's Bayraktar TB3 unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) achieved a milestone in aviation history by becoming the first drone to take off and land successfully on a short-deck ship.

The milestone was reached on Tuesday, as the TB3 operated from the short-runway carrier TCG Anadolu.

The SAHA Expo, Türkiye's flagship defense and aerospace event, witnessed the signing of agreements totaling $6.2 billion.

Some 1,478 companies, 178 foreign buying delegates and 312 officials, as well as 24 government ministers, participated in the event, organized by the Istanbul Defense and Aerospace Cluster Association (SAHA) last week.

Türkiye has emerged as the world's largest supplier of unmanned aerial vehicles and armed drones, according to a U.S.-based think tank.

A report issued earlier this month by the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) said Türkiye, China and the United States have collectively made 69 armed military drone sales to 40 different countries since 2018.

Selçuk Bayraktar, chairman and chief technology officer (CTO) of Türkiye's leading drone maker Baykar, topped the list of highest-income taxpayers in 2023, the country's Revenue Administration said on Aug. 28.

Last year, 1.95 billion Turkish Liras ($52.4 million) of income tax accrued to Selçuk Bayraktar.

Some 27 billionaires made it to Forbes' Richest People in the World List this year with a combined net worth of $57.7 billion.

There were 26 people from Türkiye on the list last year with a total net worth of $52.5 billion. 

Some 39 Turkish defense companies are attending the Doha International Maritime Defense Exhibition and Conference (DIMDEX) this year, the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) has said.

Turkish company Baykar has started building a drone factory near the Ukrainian capital of Kiev, says its CEO Haluk Bayraktar.

Baykar's TB2 or TB3 drone models will be produced at the plant, which will create jobs for 500 people, Bayraktar said, speaking at the World World Defense Show in Saudi Arabia's Riyadh.

Turkish defense company Baykar has started building a factory near Kyiv that will employ around 500 people and where it will manufacture either its TB2 or TB3 drone models, the company's chief executive told Reuters.

Türkiye's 16th International Defence Industry Fair, IDEF'23, will be organized between July 25 and 28 in Istanbul.

Türkiye's 16th International Defence Industry Fair, IDEF'23, will be organized between July 25 and 28 in Istanbul.