 in Azerbaijan with Israel Aerospace Industries last week.){kind=link}
Haluk Bayraktar, CEO of Turkey’s leading defense contractor Baykar and a relative of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has defended the company’s decision to co-sponsor the 5th Anniversary International Defense Exhibition (ADEX) in Azerbaijan with Israel Aerospace Industries last week.
Baykar is run by Erdoğan’s son-in-law Selçuk Bayraktar and his brother Haluk.
The event, held from Sept. 24-26 at the Baku Expo Center, showcased military technology from 270 companies across 40 countries, including firms from Israel and Qatar.
Critics on social media have pointed out the apparent hypocrisy of the Turkish government, which publicly condemns Israel for its actions in Gaza, while Turkish defense contractors, such as Baykar, maintain business ties with Israeli defense firms.
Israeli companies at ADEX24 exhibition
————————-
İsrail şirkətləri ADEX24 sərgisində#adex2024 pic.twitter.com/21L8Vrxfhd
— Israel in Azerbaijan (@IsraelinAZ) September 28, 2024
Haluk Bayraktar dismissed the allegations, labeling them as part of a “false flag” campaign aimed at discrediting Turkey’s defense achievements.
“We’re accustomed to these provocations, but our nation’s achievements will not be sacrificed to social media operations,” Bayraktar said in a social media post. He underscored Turkey’s advancements in the defense industry, pointing out that the country now produces strategic unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that are exported worldwide, a significant departure from 20 years ago when Turkey relied on Israeli-made drones.
Bayraktar also highlighted Turkey’s dominance at ADEX, noting that 50 of the 210 companies exhibiting at the event were Turkish, which he described as a sign of Turkey’s growing leadership in the global defense market.
“The fact that Turkish firms played a dominant role and were among the major sponsors is proof of this success. We can only take pride in this,” he said.
The criticism comes at a time of heightened tensions in the Middle East, as Israel faces accusations of committing war crimes in Gaza. Despite Erdoğan’s harsh rhetoric against Israel, accusing it of genocide, Baykar and other Turkish companies continue to work closely with Israeli firms.
Zorlu Holding, a Turkish conglomerate with close ties to Erdoğan, retains a 25 percent stake in Dorad Energy, an Israeli power plant that supplies electricity to IDF bases. The plant has continued its operations, with the Israeli Defense Ministry recently renewing a contract with the company.
Bayraktar pointed to past military purchases from Israel, recalling that 20 years ago, Turkey paid hundreds of millions of dollars for unarmed Heron drones from Israel, which were far more expensive and less efficient than today’s domestically produced UAVs. “These systems caused many operational difficulties, and the issues couldn’t even be resolved,” Bayraktar said, contrasting this with Turkey’s current capability to produce cost-effective armed drones.
This event is sponsored by the Turkish firm, Baykar, the Israeli firm, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), and the Qatari defense contractor, Barzan Holdings. 🇹🇷🇮🇱🇶🇦.
— Global Defense Insight (@Defense_Talks) September 24, 2024
Haluk Görgün, secretary of Turkey’s Presidency of the Defense Industry (SSB), also pushed back against the criticism. In a social media post, he called the accusations part of a larger effort to undermine Turkey’s global defense achievements. “These provocations cannot harm our national goals or shake our resolve,” he said.
Turkey and Israel have maintained diplomatic and commercial ties despite Erdoğan’s public denunciations of Israeli military actions. In May, the Turkish government announced a suspension of trade with Israel, but reports indicate that exports to Israel are continuing under the guise of inflated figures for exports to Palestine.
Turkey’s trade move against Israel followed domestic attacks on the government for failing to cut off trade sooner.
The Gaza Strip is suffering a humanitarian crisis caused by Israel’s military campaign against Hamas that has been going on since October 7, with the United Nations and aid agencies warning of impending famine.
On October 7 Hamas carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel that resulted in the death of roughly 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and some 250 people taken hostage.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive against Hamas has killed at least 40,000 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza health ministry, and has devastated the Gaza Strip.
Turkey is one of the most outspoken critics of Israel’s war on Gaza, accusing the Israeli government of committing “war crimes” and “genocide” in the enclave. In early May Turkey’s Trade Ministry announced that it was suspending all trade with Israel until it allows aid to enter Gaza unhindered during its offensive against Hamas militants.
Critics accuse the Turkish government of inconsistent policies, pointing to defense contractor Baykar’s co-sponsorship of ADEX along with Israel Aerospace Industries.
Investigative journalist Metin Cihan, who since last year revealed the extent of Turkey’s trade with Israel, highlighted the contradiction, saying, “While Israel’s massacres continue, the Turkish, Israeli and Qatari military suppliers are holding a defense exhibition in Azerbaijan.”
İsrail ordusunun savaş uçaklarını ve silahlarını üreten ve İsrail devletinin en büyük askeri şirketi olan Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) ile birlikte aşağıda görüntülerini paylaştığım fuara sponsor olmaktan gurur duyuyormuş Bayraktar ailesi.
Görüntüler eski değil, birkaç gün… https://t.co/uPXCFR95Rb pic.twitter.com/nDEmQJfWOE
— metin cihan (@metcihan) September 30, 2024
Cihan criticized Baykar CEO for taking pride in sponsoring the event along with IAI, Israel’s largest military company, where Israeli warplanes and weapons used in military operations were showcased.