Erdoğan’s son-in-law sues ex-defense official who downplayed his company’s role in sector

Selçuk Bayraktar, the chief technical officer of Turkish unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) producer Baykar and also the son-in-law of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has filed a lawsuit against a former defense official who complained about misperceptions regarding Baykar’s role in the production of the country’s first UAV, the ANKA news agency reported.

Former secretary-general of the Defense Ministry Ümit Yalın claimed during a program on TELE 1 TV last month that the first national UAVs and unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) were first made by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ), not Baykar, adding that the public was misled with false information on the issue.

“When we look at public opinion, there’s this misperception that the defense industry didn’t exist before the [ruling Justice and Development Party] AKP and [its leader and president] Recep Tayyip Erdoğan took power and that they are responsible for its existence,” Yalım said.

He was complaining about the perception that Turkey’s defense industry came into existence with Baykar, which has thrived under Erdoğan’s government and exports its drones to more than 30 countries.

Many say the company owes its success to Erdoğan, who personally promotes Baykar drones during his visits to foreign countries, as a result of which agreements worth of millions of dollars are signed.

Bayraktar sued the former defense official, demanding TL 500,000 ($15,358) in damages for his claim about Baykar.

In the first hearing at the İstanbul 17th Civil Court of First Instance, Yalım said what he did was compare the UAVs and UCAVs of TUSAŞ and Baykar technically during the program on TELE 1. He demanded the rejection of Bayraktar’s claim for damages.

The court appointed an expert to examine the issue and adjourned the proceedings until October 22.

“I am facing a frivolous lawsuit. It is aimed at intimidating me, but I will not be intimidated,” Yalım told ANKA after the hearing.

Between 2022 and 2023, Bayraktar also filed lawsuits against social media user Aydın Aydoğan, the Yeni Yaşam newspaper and journalist Sedat Yılmaz, journalist Şirin Payzın and Halk TV over their news reports, remarks or social media posts about the UAVs and UCAVs produced by his company.

The Turkish government says it is working to reduce Turkey’s dependence on foreign countries for arms and military equipment by investing more in the national defense industry, which has boomed in past years. Turkey is now one of the world’s main exporters of armed drones.

There are claims that state-owned companies like TUSAŞ have been prevented from making improvements to their drone technology in order to advantage Baykar.

Baykar increased its arms revenue by 94 percent in 2022, according to a report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) last December.