10.05.2026 22:18
Queen Mathilde, visiting Türkiye as part of the Belgian Economic Mission, toured the Özdemir Bayraktar National Technology Center, where Baykar's unmanned aerial vehicles are developed. During the visit, a detailed briefing was given to the Queen and her entourage, and a commemorative photo was taken in front of the Bayraktar AKINCI TİHA.
As part of the Belgian Economic Mission, the delegation led by Queen Mathilde visiting Turkey toured the Özdemir Bayraktar National Technology Center. The delegation, which examined the R&D and production processes of national armed UAV platforms, received a detailed briefing at the massive facility.
LARGE DELEGATION UNDER QUEEN'S LEADERSHIP The delegation accompanying Queen Mathilde included Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Prevot, Defense Minister Theo Francken, and the prime ministers of regional governments. Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş and SSB President Haluk Görgün also participated in and accompanied the visit.
INSPECTED NATIONAL ARMED UAVs The delegation, hosted by Baykar Chairman of the Board Selçuk Bayraktar and General Manager Haluk Bayraktar, saw the national UAVs and armed UAVs that have made a significant impact worldwide. The Queen toured the production areas where modern defense industry technologies are developed and received information from engineers.
MEMORIAL PHOTO IN FRONT OF AKINCI At the end of the visit, a commemorative photo was taken in front of the Bayraktar AKINCI TİHA. Selçuk Bayraktar presented Queen Mathilde with a model of Turkey's first unmanned combat aircraft, the Bayraktar KIZILELMA, as a memento of the day.
ALSO SHARED ON THE ROYALTY'S SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT This visit by Queen Mathilde was also shared on the official social media account of the Belgian Royal Family. The post stated, 'The Queen visits the facilities of Baykar Technology, a company specialized in the design and production of unmanned aerial vehicles.'
'BAYKAR IS THE LARGEST IN THE WORLD' Speaking about the visit, Baykar Chairman of the Board Selçuk Bayraktar stated that they were pleased with the visit, which was made to discuss collaboration opportunities. Expressing their belief that the visit would be beneficial for joint technology development opportunities for the countries, Bayraktar said, 'I consider this initiative important for our joint efforts in the security architecture in Europe. Baykar is the world's largest unmanned aerial vehicle company. It alone holds 60 percent of the export market. Turkey also holds 65 percent. The technology we have developed has made a mark on the world. It is in high demand from all over the world. Recently, the SAHA 2026 fair ended. There, we saw great interest, especially regarding the emerging security fractures in the world. Everyone is concerned about the security of their own nation.'
Bayraktar noted that one of the important aspects, especially for medium-sized nations and smaller states, is cooperation, and said, 'As Turkey, we approach all our friendly and brotherly geographies, in a sense every country that extends a hand of friendship to us, with a full sense of friendship and brotherly relations. I believe this is an approach stemming from the culture and faith of our civilization. I hope this visit will lead to good outcomes.' Emphasizing that the world is drifting into a dark situation, Bayraktar stated, 'In this situation, I think these collaborations and alliances are important. If nations compete with each other, it will deepen the current security crisis. Additionally, the way to overcome the trade wars and supply and procurement difficulties worldwide is through strong alliances and establishing close ties. Turkey's largest trading partner is Europe. The place where we realize our greatest export potential is also Europe.'