Selçuk Bayraktar, chairman of Turkish defense contractor Baykar and the son-in-law of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, paid the highest amount of income tax in Turkey for 2023, with a reported tax liability of 1.95 billion lira ($57 million), according to the Turkish Revenue Administration.
Bayraktar, known for his role in advancing Turkey’s unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) industry, topped the list of the country’s top 100 taxpayers for the second consecutive year. His brother, Haluk Bayraktar, CEO of Baykar, followed closely, with a tax bill of 1.68 billion lira ($49 million).
The list also included several prominent members of the Koç family, one of Turkey’s wealthiest families. Rahmi Koç, the honorary chairman of Koç Holding, was the third highest taxpayer, with a tax liability of 480 million lira ($14 million). İpek Kıraç and Ömer Koç, other members of the Koç family, also made the top 10, ranking fifth and seventh, respectively.
The majority of taxpayers on the list opted to remain anonymous, with only 27 out of the top 100 taxpayers agreeing to have their names publicly disclosed.
In the corporate tax category, Turkey’s banking sector dominated, with state-owned Ziraat Bankası leading the list, paying 22.75 billion lira ($646 million) in taxes. Garanti BBVA and Akbank followed, with tax payments of 21.87 billion lira and 12.56 billion lira ($355 million), respectively. Among non-financial companies, Mercedes-Benz Türk AŞ emerged as the top taxpayer, with a liability of 6.28 billion lira ($182 million).
The 2023 tax data also highlighted a significant increase in the total declared income and tax liabilities compared to the previous year. The total declared income for corporate taxes increased by 31.91 percent, while income taxes saw a more dramatic rise, with a 98.54 percent increase in the declared base.
Baykar, under the leadership of Selçuk Bayraktar, has gained international recognition for its UAVs, particularly the Bayraktar TB2, which has been used in various conflicts, including in Ukraine. The company’s success has been closely associated with President Erdoğan, who has actively promoted Baykar’s drones during diplomatic visits.
Selçuk Bayraktar is married to Erdoğan’s youngest daughter, Sümeyye.