عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
World

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
TT
TT

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.

 

 

 

 

 

Most Viewed

 
 
World

Russian, Iranian Presidents Meet as Concerns Grow over Escalating Middle East Attacks

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian pose for a photo during their meeting on the sidelines of the International Forum "The Interconnection of Times and Civilizations - the basis of peace and development" dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the birth of the outstanding Turkmen poet and thinker Magtymguly Fragi in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (Alexander Shcherbak, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian pose for a photo during their meeting on the sidelines of the International Forum "The Interconnection of Times and Civilizations - the basis of peace and development" dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the birth of the outstanding Turkmen poet and thinker Magtymguly Fragi in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (Alexander Shcherbak, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
TT
TT

Russian, Iranian Presidents Meet as Concerns Grow over Escalating Middle East Attacks

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian pose for a photo during their meeting on the sidelines of the International Forum "The Interconnection of Times and Civilizations - the basis of peace and development" dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the birth of the outstanding Turkmen poet and thinker Magtymguly Fragi in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (Alexander Shcherbak, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian pose for a photo during their meeting on the sidelines of the International Forum "The Interconnection of Times and Civilizations - the basis of peace and development" dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the birth of the outstanding Turkmen poet and thinker Magtymguly Fragi in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (Alexander Shcherbak, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin met Iran’s president on Friday, at a time when Tehran is supplying weapons for Moscow’s war in Ukraine and concerns are growing over escalating attacks between Israel and Iran and its militant allies.

Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian discussed the situation in the Middle East on the sidelines of an international forum in the Turkmen capital, Ashgabat, Russian state media said.

Moscow and Tehran signed a $1.7 billion deal for Iran to export drones to Russia after Putin invaded Ukraine in 2022, and the US also believes it has transferred short-range ballistic missiles, The AP reported.

Both countries were accused this week by Ken McCallum, the head of Britain’s domestic intelligence agency MI5, of carrying out a “staggering” rise in attempts at assassination, sabotage and other crimes on UK soil. McCallum said his agents and police have tackled 20 “potentially lethal” plots backed by Iran since 2022 and warned that it could expand its targets in the UK if conflicts in the Middle East deepen.

During the two presidents' meeting, Putin told Pezeshkian that Moscow and Tehran's positions on international events are often very close, according to Russian state news agency Tass. He also invited the Iranian leader to visit Russia and Pezeshkian accepted, Tass said.

“We have many opportunities now, and we must help each other in our relationships. Our principles, our positions in the international arena are similar to yours,” Pezeshkian said at the start of his meeting with Putin.

Pezeshkian said that Israel's “savage attacks,” on Lebanon are “beyond description.” The Israeli military sent ground troops into southern Lebanon and is carrying out airstrikes in the country.

Speaking Friday as the forum opened, Putin said he wants to create a “new world order” of Moscow’s allies to counter the West, according to video provided by the Kremlin.

The conference is being attended by other regional leaders including Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and the heads of the other Central Asian nations, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Putin is also expected to hold talks with the Turkmen president, Serdar Berdymukhamedov.

Berdymukhamedov was elected in March 2022 to succeed his father, Gurbanguly, who had run the gas-rich country since 2006.

Turkmenistan has remained largely isolated under autocratic rulers since it became independent following the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.