Kyrgyzstan honours Turkish drone pioneer Selcuk Bayraktar with Dank award

Selcuk Bayraktar, chairman of the board of Baykar Technologies, Türkiye’s leading defence firm known for its cutting-edge unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), received the "Kyrgyzstan Dank State Award" for his contribution to the country’s defence.

Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov presented the award to Bayraktar on Wednesday, a prominent Turkish engineer and entrepreneur, at the Presidential Palace in the capital of Bishkek.

Bayraktar played a key role in developing Türkiye’s indigenous drones, including the Bayraktar TB2, which received international attention for their effectiveness.

Earlier, Japarov welcomed Bayraktar to the Presidential Palace and the two discussed various issues, according to a Kyrgyz Presidency statement.

During the meeting, Japarov highlighted the importance of strengthening cooperation with leading international companies like Baykar Technologies to enhance the country's defence capabilities, develop its national military-industrial systems, and bolster regional security.

Bayraktar expressed Baykar's readiness to deepen its cooperation with Kyrgyzstan, emphasising the role of modern technologies in ensuring border security and creating effective deterrence against potential threats.

Later, Japarov presented Bayraktar with the "Kyrgyzstan Dank State Award" in recognition of his significant contributions to Kyrgyzstan's defense capabilities and military potential.

As a gesture of appreciation, Bayraktar presented Jap arov with a model of the Akinci unmanned aerial vehicle, featuring depictions of key scenes from Kyrgyzstan's Manas Epic on its wings.