Turkish company Baykar produces unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, and has so far supplied a lot of military equipment to Ukraine. The company also has close ties to the Turkish government as its chief technology officer, Selcuk Bayraktar, is married to the country’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s daughter, Sümeyye Erdogan.
In an interview with the BBC, the company’s CEO, Haluk Bayraktar, said the country has no intention of supplying its products to Russia for use against Ukraine.
Bayraktar said, “No matter how much money they offer us, frankly there is no question of giving them drones.”
He added: “All our support is entirely on Ukraine’s side.”
In previous statements, the company’s CEO hinted that his company had become a “symbol” in aiding Ukraine’s resistance against Russia.
He told CNN: “We are very proud and it is very touching for us to be one of the symbols of this great resistance in Ukraine.”
The businessman added that Ukraine is suffering a “very disproportionate aggression” and that Baykar’s TB2 drones are a “valuable asset” for the defending country.
He noted: “One of the reasons why Bayraktar TB2 became a symbol of free and sovereign Ukraine is that the whole fleet of Bayraktar TB2 was alive since day zero of the war.
“We have huge experience and Ukrainian operators are well qualified, and they use these drones in all kinds of environments.”
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Responding to the question of whether they would also consider supplying these drones to Russia, he said that they had not done so and would “never do such a thing” because they support sovereignty and Ukrainian resistance.
Finally, when asked to comment on fundraising campaigns to support Ukraine’s purchase of Bayraktar TB2 drones, Bayraktar said the company was “touched” by this effort and decided to donate drones to Ukraine. in place.
Bayraktar said: “As a company, we wanted to show that in these times, in a war of such magnitude, we are not looking to maximize our revenue and profits, but rather to maximize our support for the Ukraine and its struggle for independence.”
And to conclude: “We pray for a just resolution and a lasting peace”.
