SAMSUN – Turkish defense industry leader Baykar has announced plans to build its first production facility in Anatolia, selecting the symbolic city of Samsun as the site for the high-tech hub.
In a statement shared via its official account on the national social media platform NeXT Sosyal, Baykar said:
“Baykar’s new production hub will be in Samsun, the symbolic city of the Turkish War of Independence. This investment will bring high-tech manufacturing capabilities and qualified employment to the city. The Black Sea region will become an important center for the defense and aerospace industry.”
The new facility will be located on a 400-decare (approximately 99-acre) site in Samsun’s Tekkeköy district.
Global UAV Leader Expands Domestic Footprint
Baykar, which has financed all its projects entirely with its own resources since its founding, began its UAV R&D journey in 2003. The company has consistently maintained a strong export focus, earning 83% of its revenues from exports since inception.
In 2023, Baykar achieved $1.8 billion in exports, retaining its position as the world’s largest exporter of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This global success continued into 2024, when the company once again generated $1.8 billion in exports, with 90% of its revenue coming from international sales.
Baykar has been among the top 10 exporters across all sectors in Türkiye in both 2023 and 2024, earning the “Champions of Export Award.” It has also held the title of export leader in the defense and aerospace sector for four consecutive years (2021–2024), according to data from the Presidency of Defense Industries and the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM).
In 2023, Baykar accounted for one-third of Türkiye’s defense and aerospace exports; in 2024, it produced one-quarter of the sector’s total exports, solidifying Türkiye’s leadership in the global UAV export market. The company has signed export agreements with 36 countries — 35 for the Bayraktar TB2 armed UAV and 15 for the Bayraktar Akıncı combat UAV.
Local Leaders Hail Strategic Investment
Samsun Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Halit Doğan celebrated the announcement on social media, describing Baykar as one of the most important global players in defense and aerospace and a driving force of Türkiye’s “National Technology Initiative.”
“The second century of our Republic is becoming the century of Samsun,” Doğan wrote, adding:
“Baykar is establishing its first Anatolian production hub in our city, on a 400-decare special industrial zone. I extend my gratitude to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır, Baykar executives Haluk and Selçuk Bayraktar, TBMM Plan and Budget Commission Chair and Samsun MP Mehmet Muş, and everyone who contributed. May it be beneficial to our country and our veteran city of Samsun.”
The facility is expected to significantly boost the region’s role in Türkiye’s defense and aerospace sector, while reinforcing Baykar’s status as a global leader in UAV technology.
