Türkiye is rapidly expanding its strategic footprint in Africa, with its defence industry, led by UAV giant Baykar which is emerging as a major catalyst for new military partnerships and security cooperation across the continent. Baykar showcased the breadth of Türkiye’s drone technology at the Bamako Expo Fair (BAMEX’25) in Mali, where booths were dedicated exclusively to Turkish defence companies for the first time. The company exhibited scale models of its leading platforms including the Bayraktar TB2, Akıncı, TB3 and the next-generation Kızılelma, attracting significant interest from high-level delegations.
The Bayraktar TB2, in particular, has become symbolic of Türkiye’s growing defence diplomacy. Widely adopted for its intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and precision-strike capabilities, the TB2 has positioned Türkiye as a preferred partner for African governments seeking cost-effective and highly capable unmanned systems. Countries such as Mali, Morocco, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Libya, Burkina Faso, Togo, Niger, Djibouti, Somalia, Rwanda and Kenya now operate Baykar UAVs, demonstrating the company’s reach across diverse security landscapes. These drones are used to counter insurgency, improve border surveillance and reinforce national security strategies.
Baykar’s rise reflects not just commercial success but also Türkiye’s evolving foreign policy. Defence exports have become a cornerstone of Ankara’s engagement with African states, offering advanced technology without political preconditions. The export of domestically developed payloads and mission systems further strengthens this cooperation. Since initiating its UAV R&D efforts in 2003, Baykar has generated 83% of its income from exports. Today, it ranks among Türkiye’s top ten exporters across all sectors and is the number one exporter in the defence and aerospace industry.
More than 90% of its recently signed contracts are international, and the company has secured UAV export agreements with 37 countries. As the world’s largest exporter of armed UAVs, Baykar has positioned Türkiye as a global leader in drone technology while opening new avenues for partnership, capacity-building and defence collaboration across Africa.
