Think-tank: Turkey’s drone diplomacy holds lessons for Europe

Borsari pointed out that the most significant effects of Turkey’s globally lauded combat drones are the political leverage and economic opportunities they afford Ankara

Europe can learn valuable military and diplomatic lessons from Turkey’s drone diplomacy, according to an analysis published by a prominent international think-tank.

In the commentary published by The European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) on Jan. 30, author Federico Borsari stressed that EU member states need to incorporate the assessments of drone technology into their defense strategies.

“The growth of Turkish drone diplomacy holds military and diplomatic lessons for Europe. The European Union and its member states need to map out the geopolitical and economic implications of drones, and to effectively incorporate their assessments of this technology into their defense strategies,” said Borsari.

Borsari went on to point out that the most significant effects of Turkey’s globally lauded combat drones are the political leverage and economic opportunities they afford Ankara.

“Yet, for all the talk of Turkish drones’ military capabilities, their most significant effects may be in the economic opportunities and political leverage they have provided Turkey. Thanks to their effectiveness and affordability, Turkish drones have evolved from a purely military asset into an integral component of Ankara’s foreign policy strategy,” continued Borsari.

The Bayraktar TB2 armed UAV, which was developed and manufactured by Turkish defense company Baykar Technologies, has been used by the Turkish Armed Forces and the country’s Security Directorate since 2015, most recently credited for Azerbaijan’s military success in the Karabakh conflict.

However, he warned that if Europeans were to adapt to this strategy, they would need to understand how Turkey derives military and diplomatic benefits from its drones.

The author also praised the capabilities of Turkish-made drones, which match their Western counterparts, despite them costing only a fraction of their price.

“Turkish drones are cheap as well as effective. A TB2 costs roughly $5m – compared to $20m for an American-built MQ-9 Reaper and $28m for a more advanced US-made Protector RG Mk 1 (which will soon enter into service with the British Royal Air Force). Unlike other low-cost models, such as China’s Wing Loong, Turkey’s drones provide all the capabilities of Western ones at a fraction of the price. So, unsurprisingly, Turkey has gained a prominent role in a sector,” according to Borsari.

Borsari concluded his analysis by emphasizing that European states should invest more resources in drone technology and not “allow their rivals to continue to dominate the sector.”

Turkey’s combat drones have reportedly destroyed the Russian-made Pantsir missile systems in Syria, Libya, and Nagorno-Karabakh, as Ankara’s deployment of UAVs was credited for the victories clenched by Turkey’s allies from Asia to Africa.