Turkish defense firm Baykar okay with co-sponsoring Israeli firms

Duvar English

Responding to criticism over Turkish defense company Baykar being a co-sponsor with an Israeli-based company at a fair in Azerbaijan, Baykar's CEO Haluk Bayraktar stated that they stand firmly behind their decision.

"We are determined not to let our nation's national achievements fall victim to social media operations. The dominant role of Turkish companies and their presence as major sponsors at the ADEX International Defense Fair in Azerbaijan is the most tangible proof of this success. This is something we can only be proud of," Bayraktar said according to a report by daily BirGün.

In his post on the social media platform X, Bayraktar argued that Turkey has taken "revolutionary" steps in the defense industry. He stated, "Today, we are producing the most advanced UAVs and meeting our needs in a much more cost-effective way. Moreover, Turkey has become a global leader in this field."

He also claimed criticism against the defense firm was part of the “false flag” operations.

Secretary of Turkish Defence Industries Haluk Görgün also addressed the criticism on his social media account and stated, "These types of provocations are part of efforts to discredit the global successes of our defense industry. These ugly campaigns, conducted by ignoring the facts, cannot harm our national goals nor shake the determination of our people."

What happened?

Journalist Metin Cihan has revealed that the military manufacturing companies of Turkey, Israel, and Qatar became the co-sponsors of the 5th Azerbaijan International Defence Exhibition.

He commented, "At such a time, the level of collaboration with Israel is clear: while Israel's massacres continue, the military companies of Turkey, Israel, and Qatar are happily organizing a defense fair in Azerbaijan. BAYKAR’s co-sponsor, IAI, is the company that produces warplanes and weapons for the Israeli military. It’s not even a private company; it's a state-owned Israeli enterprise."

Cihan also mentioned that the event was supported by the Turkish company Baykar, the Israeli company Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), and the Qatari defense contractor Barzan Holdings.

Turkey has repeatedly denounced Israel's devastating attacks in Gaza, and condemned its recent attacks in Lebanon. It has halted all trade with Israel and applied to join a genocide case against Israel at the World Court.

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