Daily Sabah
May 11, 2022

Turkey to co-produce its Anka drones with Kazakhstan

Turkey and Kazakhstan are set to start co-producing drones that were sold to the Central Asian just last year, a statement said Wednesday.

Anka, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), will be jointly produced by Turkish and Kazakh experts, according to a statement by the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI).

The drones will be manufactured at a facility soon to be established in Kazakhstan, it said.

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The latest development will make Kazakhstan the first Anka production base outside of Turkey.

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Kazakhstan was reported in November to have bought three units of the medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) Anka drones in a deal that followed an agreement in October.

The two countries back in May signed a military cooperation agreement, foreseeing sharing of tactical and experience using reconnaissance and attack unmanned aerial vehicles.

Tunisia became the first buyer of TAI’s drone. It was reported in December to have signed a contract to buy three Anka UAVs in a deal worth around $80 million.

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[The Anka] can conduct a range of missions, including real-time intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, communication relay, target acquisition and tracking.

It can also be equipped with weapons such as the Roketsan Smart Micro Munition’s air-launched missile launcher and the Cirit 2.75-inch guided rocket pod in its two underwing weapons stations to engage light-armored vehicles, personnel, military shelters and ground radar stations.

On Tuesday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Kazakh counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a joint declaration in the capital Ankara elevating bilateral relations to the level of “enhanced strategic partnership.”

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Daily Sabah
May 11, 2022

Turkey, Kazakhstan determined to continue solidarity in global platforms

Turkey and Kazakhstan on Tuesday confirmed their determination to continue their solidarity on platforms such as the United Nations Economic Cooperation Organization and the Organization of Turkic States.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Tuesday arrived in Ankara, his first official visit to Turkey, which is expected to herald a new era in the two countries’ relations.

Speaking during a joint press conference alongside his Kazakh counterpart Tokayev, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that Turkey and Kazakhstan will reach their targeted $10 billion (TL 152.40 billion) bilateral trade volume as the volume doubled since the previous year.

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Stating that he discussed the Russia-Ukraine war with Tokayev as well, Erdoğan said: “Our views on peaceful resolution of Ukraine on the basis of sovereignty and territorial integrity coincide.”

On over a dozen agreements that were signed between the two nations ahead of the press conference, Erdoğan called them “steps that will further strengthen the foundation of our relations.”

The agreements cover such areas as transportation, the defense industry, military intelligence, information technology…and communications.

For his part, Tokayev called Turkey “a very important strategic partner” for his Central Asian country.

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Turkey was the first country to recognize Kazakhstan’s independence in 1991, with the two nations establishing diplomatic relations in a matter of months.

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Relations reached a high point with the signing of a strategic partnership agreement between the two nations in 2009. In 2012, they established a high-level strategic cooperation council.

The countries cooperate extensively in the fields of politics, economy, trade, investment, military, defense industry….

Furthermore, when mass protests shook the country in January, Turkey pledged solidarity with Kazakhstan….