Azerbaijani defense chief meets CEO of Turkish Baykar drone company ahead of major event

By Azernews

Azerbaijani Defense Minister Col-Gen Zakir Hasanov has received the Turkish Baykar drone company’s Technical Director Selcuk Bayraktar on May 25, Azernews reports, citing the ministry.

Welcoming the guest, Hasanov stated that the two nations' military cooperation is based on friendly and brotherly ties that are constantly growing and strengthening.

Hasanov emphasized the importance of such meetings in terms of developing mutual cooperation, stating that friendly relations between the two nations play an essential role in the development of bilateral relations.

The importance of holding the TEKNOFEST Azerbaijan festival in Baku in 2022 was also stressed at the meeting.

The sides exchanged views on the current state and prospects of military-technical cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkey.

Azerbaijan procures Turkish military drones from the Baykar company. Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial vehicles proved highly effective during the 44-day war with Armenia in 2020.

Earlier, the international media headlines described it as a "game-changer" with its spectacular performance in the second Karabakh war.

Azerbaijan will host the TEKNOFEST International Aviation, Space, and Technology Festival from May 26 to 29.

The event will feature air shows, demonstration flights by Azerbaijani Air Forces Su-25 attack aircraft, and MiG-29 multi-role fighter aircraft, as well as Turkish Stars F-5 fighter planes and Solo Turk F-16 aerobatic demonstration teams, Hurkush Fighter trainer aircraft, and ATAK helicopters.

The festival is organized by the Azerbaijani Digital Development and Transport Ministry. At the same time, the TEKNOFEST production office operates in Baku, of which full staff consists of Azerbaijani specialists.

The event has been organized yearly since 2018, with the Turkish Technology Team Foundation, which is controlled by the Turkish Industry and Technology Ministry and Baykar Makina's technical director in cooperation with around 60 Turkish state institutions, universities, and private firms.

The festival's goal is to popularize areas like aviation, space industry, and the digital economy, encourage entrepreneurship in these fields, identify the knowledge and skills of young engineers through competitions held within the festival's framework, and present national technologies to the general public.