NATO parliamentary delegation visits Baykar ahead of Ankara summit

Parliament speakers attending the NATO Parliamentary Summit in Istanbul paid a field visit to the Baykar National Technology Center on Tuesday, hosted by Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş, ahead of next week’s landmark NATO summit in Ankara. Following the summit held at Istanbul’s Dolmabahçe Palace on Monday, Kurtulmuş, together with parliament speakers from allied countries and senior parliamentary representatives, visited Baykar’s Özdemir Bayraktar National Technology Center.

Briefing on defence technologies

During the visit, guided by Baykar Chairman Selçuk Bayraktar, the delegation was briefed on the company’s activities, work in defence technologies, and innovative projects. Kurtulmuş also met with Canan Bayraktar, the widow of the late Özdemir Bayraktar, a pioneer of Türkiye’s National Technology Initiative and indigenous combat drones, and the mother of Selçuk Bayraktar. The visit comes ahead of the July 7-8 NATO summit in Ankara, which will feature for the first time a defence industry forum as part of the official program.

Strategic significance

Baykar, known for its Bayraktar TB2 and Akıncı drones, has become a symbol of Türkiye’s growing defence industry. The visit underscores the importance of Türkiye’s defence capabilities within NATO and highlights the country’s role as a key ally in the alliance’s southern flank. The Ankara summit is expected to showcase Türkiye’s defence industry as a strategic asset for NATO’s collective security, with officials from member states and guest countries attending.