The brothers who run Turkish company Baykar, which specializes in military drones, have said they fully support Ukraine and won't sell their weapons to Russia "no matter how much money we are offered."
Baykar is best known for its Bayraktar TB2 drones, which have been used to devastating effect by Ukrainian forces since Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion in February, even entering into national pop culture with a song written in their honor.
Speaking to BBC, Haluk and Selçuk Bayraktar, CEO and chief technology officer at Baykar respectively, insisted they won't be selling any arms to Russia.
Haluk said: "Our friendship and cooperation with Ukraine has been going on for many years. Therefore, no matter how much money we are offered, frankly, there is no question of handing them over to them in this situation.
"All our support is completely on the side of Ukraine, because we have a very strong connection, and Ukraine is experiencing a very unfair, aggressive and unfounded attacks. Nothing will overshadow our cooperation with Ukraine, regardless of the amount offered, our position on this matter is clear."
The Bayraktar TB2 can be flown to a target by a remote operator stationed miles away, before carrying out its attack with bombs or missiles. They have been used extensively by Turkish forces against the Kurdistan Workers' Party militant group and played an important role in Azerbaijan's victory over Armenia in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war.
The Bayraktar brothers are very well-connected politically in Turkey, with Selçuk marrying President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's daughter in 2016.
They have a long relationship with Ukraine, first supplying drones to the country in 2018. Kyiv bought nearly two dozen Bayraktar TB2 before the Russian invasion, with another 16 arriving in early March.
Haluk said: "When the war started, we sent ten trucks of rubber aid—food aid, baby food, hygiene items. Ukraine is a country with which we have close relations. We share the pain of Ukrainians and appreciate their defense of their land and heroic struggle."
In May, Lithuanian citizens, organized by internet broadcaster Laisves TV, crowd-funded $4.7 million to buy another Bayraktar TB2 for Ukraine. Petro Beshta, Ukraine's ambassador to Lithuania, said it was "the first case in history when ordinary people raise money to buy something like a Bayraktar."
In a separate crowdfunding effort, Ukrainian comedian and politician Serhiy Prytula raised $20 million to purchase three Bayraktar TB2s for his country's military. Baykar refused to take the money collected, instead giving the three drones for free.
Earlier this month Vasyl Bodnar, the Ukrainian ambassador to Turkey, told RBC Ukraine that Baykar is in the process of building a drone factory in Ukraine itself.
Newsweek reached out to the Russian Foreign Ministry for comment.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
James Bickerton is a Newsweek U.S. News reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is covering U.S. politics and world ... Read more
