Turkey is speeding up the development of autonomous unmanned aircraft, with the son in law of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and head of Baykar announcing new capabilities that, as he stated, "we will show them to the world."
The developments cause intense concern, as Ankara invests in artificial intelligence and autonomous action systems for the battlefield.
These new technologies may affect the military balances in the region, with particular interest for Greece.
More specifically, Selçuk Bayraktar, chairman of the Turkish drone manufacturing company Baykar and son in law of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, stated that autonomous combat unmanned aircraft with jet engines will gain wide international acceptance only after they prove their capabilities in real warfare conditions, predicting that his company will likely be the one to demonstrate this transformation on the battlefield.
Speaking during a presentation at the Baykar production complex in Istanbul, Bayraktar described unmanned combat aircraft as a fundamentally different kind of weapon system and not just another generation of fighter aircraft.
Instead of comparing robotic aircraft to first, second, third, fourth, fifth, or even sixth generation fighters, he argued that they should be considered an entirely separate category of military assets, as they eliminate the need for human pilots and rely on software that can be copied and improved almost instantly.
His statements were notable, as they openly presented armed conflict as the event that will ultimately validate the technology.
Instead of presenting future wars simply as a matter concerning potential customers, Bayraktar stated that performance on the battlefield will determine when robotic fighter aircraft will become widely accepted and hinted that Baykar expects to lead this transition.
"Exactly when this will happen is a good question.
It will take a lot of time, but it will happen as soon as their capability is proven in a war. and this will happen.
We are at the forefront. we will probably prove it to the world," stated Bayraktar.
He argued that autonomous fighter aircraft represent a technological transition analogous to the transition from manned to automated systems in other industrial sectors.
In contrast to conventional fighter aircraft, which require multiyear and expensive pilot training, robotic aircraft rely on software.
Once this is optimized, he said, the same capabilities can be transferred almost instantaneously to the entire fleet through software updates, instead of requiring the training of additional pilots.
Bayraktar characterized these aircraft as cheaper, easier to reproduce, and potentially more dangerous than traditional manned fighters, because they are not limited by the physical endurance or the training requirements of human pilots.
He stated that the air forces of the future will rely increasingly on autonomous systems capable of executing complex combat missions.
The statements were made during a visit, on June 30, 2026, of parliament speakers participating in the NATO Parliamentary Summit in Istanbul. Under the hosting of the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Numan Kurtulmus, the delegation visited the Ozdemir Bayraktar National Technology Center of Baykar, following the meetings held at the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul.
In contrast to the Bayraktar TB2 and the Akinci combat drone, which have already been widely exported, the Kızılelma is intended to operate as an autonomous jet powered platform, which will be able in the future to execute both air combat missions and strike missions.
Bayraktar argued that such systems should not be considered simply another generation of fighter aircraft, as they completely replace the pilot with software.
International recognition
The unmanned aircraft (drones) Bayraktar gained international recognition after their use in conflicts such as in Libya, in Ukraine, and in the Nagorno-Karabakh war of 2020 between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Turkish officials have repeatedly cited their performance on the battlefields, promoting defense cooperation agreements with foreign governments and projecting Turkish made military systems abroad.
The growing influence of Baykar on the global weapons market has also generated enormous wealth for the family that controls the company.
Selçuk Bayraktar entered the Forbes list of the 10 richest people in Turkey for the first time, according to the updated ranking of 2026, following the significant increase in the valuation of Baykar, which is mainly driven by defense hardware exports.
Forbes estimated the personal fortune of Selçuk Bayraktar at 2.7 billion dollars, ranking him in ninth place among the richest businessmen in Turkey. This is an impressive rise compared to 2025, when he was in 21st place, before entering the top ten of the richest in the country.
His brother, Haluk Bayraktar, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Baykar, also saw his fortune increase significantly. Forbes estimated his fortune at 2.4 billion dollars, raising the total fortune of the two brothers to more than 5 billion dollars.
Selçuk Bayraktar owns 52.5% of Baykar, while Haluk Bayraktar controls the remaining 47.5%.
Their late father, Ozdemir Bayraktar, founded the company in 1984 as an automotive components manufacturer, before it turned to the development of unmanned aircraft and evolved into one of the fastest growing defense manufacturers globally.
President Erdogan has repeatedly promoted Baykar drones during his official visits abroad and in his bilateral meetings with foreign leaders.
The government delegations accompanying the Turkish president often include representatives of the defense industry, when military procurements and broader strategic cooperation issues are discussed, a fact that has made Baykar one of the most prominent exporters of defense products in the country.
During the concluding press conference of the NATO summit in Ankara, on July 8, 2026, President Erdogan referred to the development of the Turkish defense industry, giving special emphasis to the sector of unmanned aircraft.
He mentioned Baykar as a characteristic example of the international growth of the sector, saying that the company continues to receive significant orders from all over the world.
"Baykar is taking an important step and this process continues.
It receives very important orders from all over the world and will continue to do so. This shows that our unmanned aircraft and armed drones have now become accepted on a global level," stated Erdogan.
The family relationship of Bayraktar with Erdogan has also fueled political speculation in Turkey for a number of years.
The Turkish media have repeatedly argued that he could enter active politics in the future and even emerge as a potential successor to Erdogan as a presidential candidate.
Bayraktar has previously stated in interviews that he was not, in principle, opposed to the possibility of pursuing a political career.
However, according to information secured by the Nordic Monitor, the Erdogan family has decided to support the son of the president, Bilal Erdogan, as the preferred choice for the leadership of the ruling party after Recep Tayyip Erdogan, while Selçuk Bayraktar has not received support to move to the political forefront.
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