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Erdogan Says Türkiye, Serbia Will Jointly Develop Defense Industry

FILED - 18 December 2023, Hungary, Budapest: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaks during a press conference in Budapest. Photo: Marton Monus/dpa
FILED - 18 December 2023, Hungary, Budapest: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaks during a press conference in Budapest. Photo: Marton Monus/dpa
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Erdogan Says Türkiye, Serbia Will Jointly Develop Defense Industry

FILED - 18 December 2023, Hungary, Budapest: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaks during a press conference in Budapest. Photo: Marton Monus/dpa
FILED - 18 December 2023, Hungary, Budapest: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaks during a press conference in Budapest. Photo: Marton Monus/dpa

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that Türkiye and Serbia had decided to carry out joint work on developing their defense industry and that Turkish drones would be part of bilateral cooperation.

"Türkiye and Serbia need to take a step together, but this step is the formation of a defense industry among ourselves to ensure the preservation of peace," Erdogan said in Belgrade alongside Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic, Reuters reported.

International demand for Turkish drones, primarily Baykar's Bayraktar TB2 drones, has soared after their impact on conflicts in Syria, Libya, Azerbaijan and Ukraine. Baykar has said it has signed export agreements with some 30 countries.

"Türkiye's capabilities in drones will of course be part the steps taken on the defense industry," Erdogan said.

He said Ankara and Belgrade would utilize their resources "as two friendly countries" to fine-tune their cooperation, warning that no other country should try to interfere even if they are unhappy with it.

On Thursday, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said during a visit by Erdogan that Ankara would give Tirana a "considerable" number of kamikaze drones of an unspecified type. The two sides are NATO allies and Tirana already acquired a fleet of Bayraktar reconnaissance and attack drones.

 

 

 

 

 

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30 People Die in a Crash between a Passenger Bus and a Truck in Brazil

A general view of Brazil's National Congress during sunset in Brasilia, Brazil, June 11, 2024. REUTERS/Adriano Machado/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
A general view of Brazil's National Congress during sunset in Brasilia, Brazil, June 11, 2024. REUTERS/Adriano Machado/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
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30 People Die in a Crash between a Passenger Bus and a Truck in Brazil

A general view of Brazil's National Congress during sunset in Brasilia, Brazil, June 11, 2024. REUTERS/Adriano Machado/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
A general view of Brazil's National Congress during sunset in Brasilia, Brazil, June 11, 2024. REUTERS/Adriano Machado/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

A crash between a passenger bus and a truck early Saturday killed 30 people on a highway in Minas Gerais, a state in southeastern Brazil, officials said.

The Minas Gerais fire department, which responded to the scene, said 13 others were taken to hospitals near the city of Teofilo Otoni. The bus had reportedly departed from Sao Paulo and was carrying 45 passengers.

Authorities said the bus blew a tire, causing the driver to lose control and collide with a truck. A car with three passengers also collided with the bus, but all three survived, according to the fire department, The AP reported.

Rescue teams are working on the accident site and there are still more victims to be removed, said Lt. Alonso of the fire department.

Gov. Romeu Zema wrote on X that he ordered “full mobilization” of the Minas Gerais government to assist the victims.

“We are working to ensure that families of the victims are supported to face this tragedy in the most humane way possible, especially as it comes just before Christmas,” Zema said.

In 2024, more than 10,000 people died in traffic accidents in Brazil, according to the Ministry of Transportation.

In September, a bus carrying a football team flipped on a road and killed three people. The Coritiba Crocodiles, a team from the southern Brazilian city of Curitiba, was headed to a game in Rio de Janeiro, where they were set to play in the country’s American football championship. The game was canceled following the deadly accident.