The defense industry is flourishing in various countries, including Israel and Turkey. One of the leading Turkish defense companies, Baykar, has recently rewarded its employees with grants equivalent to 18 salaries as a token of appreciation for their hard work and dedication. Baykar is known globally for its VP of Technology, Selcuk Beyrakter, who is married to Soumya, the daughter of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Beyrakter is also recognized as the highest taxpayer in Turkey, having paid about 564 million lira (approximately 34 million dollars) to the country in 2022.
Moreover, Baykar is renowned for its Bayraktar TB2 drone, which is widely used by the Ukrainian army. The company generates approximately 83% of its revenue from exports and ranked first in security exports within Turkey between 2021-2022. In 2022, during the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Baykar’s revenues spiked by 94%, and it still leads in exports with a total of $1.8 billion in 2023, representing a third of all defense sector exports.
Baykar has been exporting UAVs to an impressive number of countries worldwide. Thirty-three countries have purchased the Beyrakter TB2 drone, and nine countries have bought the more advanced Beyrakter Akinci model. These exports are subject to Defense Export Control Division in the Ministry of Defense. As a gesture of appreciation for their employees’ hard work and dedication, Baykar announced that employees who have worked for more than six years or managers for more than two years will receive an 18-salary grant.
Selchuk Beyrakter and his brother Khaluk expressed their gratitude to their employees for their contribution to Baykar’s success while emphasizing the importance of teamwork and believing in achieving even more together in the future. Despite facing competition from Israeli defense companies such as Elbit, IAI, and Rafael, Baykar was ranked 76th on Stockholm Peace Research Institute’s list of top ten defense companies worldwide for 2022. The Globes system ensures ethical dialogue while filtering out any harmful expressions through its editorial policy.
In conclusion, Baykar’s success story highlights how thriving industries can be leveraged to benefit nations globally through innovation and hard work while contributing positively to international peace efforts through responsible use of technology and adherence to ethical codes of conduct.