Turkish drone giant Baykar picks Samsun for first Anatolian factory

Baykar, maker of Türkiye’s globally renowned drones, will set up its first Anatolian production hub in the Black Sea province of Samsun, the company announced.

“This new investment will bring high-tech manufacturing capabilities and high-quality jobs to Samsun. The Black Sea region will become an important center for the defense and aerospace industry,” Baykar said in a statement on the social media platform X.

The company is known for its Bayraktar TB2 tactical unmanned combat aerial vehicles, which gained global prominence after being used by Ukraine’s military against Russian forces as well as in campaigns in Azerbaijan and North Africa.

It has also developed Bayraktar Akıncı, a high-altitude, long-endurance combat drone, and Bayraktar TB3, which has become the first armed UCAV capable of operating from short-runway ships.

The company is also working on the first unmanned fighter jet, Kızılelma.

Baykar has become one of the most prolific drone exporters worldwide with TB2 and Akinci drones sold to more than 35 countries.

In 2024, it was among Türkiye’s top 10 exporters across all sectors, with shipments worth $1.8 billion.

The statement did not say which of the platforms would be produced in Samsun.

Samsun Mayor Halit Doğan described Baykar as one of the world’s prominent defense and aerospace companies and a pioneer of Türkiye’s national technology initiative.

“Baykar will set up its first Anatolian production hub on a 400-decare special industrial zone in our city,” Doğan wrote on X.

Samsun is known as the symbol city where Mustafa Kemal Atatürk landed on May 19, 1919, marking the start of the Turkish War of Independence.

Located in the northern part of the Anatolian peninsula, along the southern coast of the Black Sea, Samsun is seen as one of the strategic points for regional connectivity, trade and logistics.

Source: Daily Sabah