Bayraktar warns unchecked tech race risks 'terrible extinction'

Baykar Chairman Selçuk Bayraktar warned Friday that unchecked technological ambition risks bringing "a terrible extinction" upon humanity, calling on global leaders to rethink the purpose of innovation during an appearance at the 77th International Astronautical Congress in the southern Turkish city of Antalya.

'Terrible extinction' warning

Speaking at a panel titled "The Future Starts Here: Technology, Space and the Next Generation" alongside Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacir, Bayraktar said the international order established to protect life has been repeatedly undermined by technological monopolies pursuing strategies of addiction and dependence. "We can see this in the wars that have recently begun and never seem to end. If we continue at this pace, driven by this ambition, a terrible extinction awaits us all — humanity, our children, and future generations," he said, adding that similar concerns emerged after World War II regarding weapons accumulation. Bayraktar noted that even civilian technologies like smartwatches serve as intelligence-gathering tools, with global monopolies now capable of influencing human thought and behavior through data collection.

TEKNOFEST generation and space goals

Bayraktar highlighted the growth of TEKNOFEST, Türkiye's premier aerospace festival, noting that 1.6 million students applied to competitions held recently in Şanlıurfa while 55,000 have applied to space-related contests to date — up from 20,000 total applicants in the festival's first year. "We aim to build a fairer, more beautiful and better world that serves the good of humanity along the path we are pursuing together with the TEKNOFEST generation," he said, referencing the Bayraktar KIZILELMA unmanned combat aircraft unveiled during the Republic's centenary and the newly established Fergani Space venture. Fergani aims to develop the Ulugh Beg global positioning system using funding partly derived from Baykar's export revenues, which exceed 90 percent of the company's income.

Anadolu CEO on technological sovereignty

Anadolu Agency CEO Serdar Karagöz, who moderated the panel, said Türkiye has transitioned from merely using space technologies to developing them, citing the country's capability to produce communications satellites and its planned Moon mission among 11 nations worldwide possessing such capacity. "We are no longer just a country that uses space technologies; we also develop it," Karagöz said, emphasizing that the TEKNOFEST generation represents hope against technology giants that develop innovations for power and control rather than human benefit. He noted that thirty years ago Türkiye's space ambitions were considered a dream, whereas today ideas are transforming into tangible projects and products.

Beyond UAVs for full independence

Bayraktar acknowledged Baykar's position as the world's largest manufacturer and exporter of large-class unmanned aerial vehicles, a status achieved through rapid innovation and technology sharing with friendly nations, but cautioned that aerial success alone cannot ensure sovereignty. "Success in unmanned combat aerial vehicles alone is not enough for a country to achieve full independence and prosperity. It must advance alongside all other fields," he said, arguing that countries like Türkiye should focus on "races that have yet to begin" rather than competing in established technological monopolies. The IAC 2026 congress was co-hosted by the Turkish Space Agency and SAHA Istanbul under the coordination of the Industry and Technology Ministry, with Anadolu Agency serving as global communications partner.