Turkish defense company Baykar announced the opening of a production center in the northern province of Samsun - the first such initiative in Anatolian cities, reports the newspaper „Hürriyet“, reports News.bg.
„Baykar's new production base is located in Samsun, the symbolic city of the national struggle“, the company said in an official statement.
Samsun has a special historical significance for Turkey, as it was there that the founder of the modern Turkish state, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, arrived on May 19, 1919, to launch the independence movement. This date is celebrated annually as a national holiday, and the city itself was recently awarded a medal of merit.
The new investment will bring modern technological production capabilities and skilled jobs to Samsun, Baykar added. The company emphasizes that the Black Sea region will become a significant center for the defense and aerospace industries.
The production facility will spread over an area of 400 acres in the Tekekoy district of Samsun.
In 2023, Baykar accounted for one-third of Turkey's defense exports and led the country to a leading position in the global market for armed drone exports. In 2024 alone, the company accounted for a quarter of the total exports of the defense and aerospace sector.
As the world's largest manufacturer of unmanned aerial vehicles, Baykar has signed export agreements with 36 countries - 35 for the Bayraktar TB2 UAV and 15 for the Bayraktar AKINCI UCAV.
The company continues to dominate the international market, generating $1.8 billion in exports in 2024, of which 90% was revenue from foreign sales.