From ‘garage startup’ to world leader: Baykar CEO reveals secrets behind company’s success

The Turkish company Baykar, in nearly 40 years of existence — the last 20 focused on UAVs — has grown from a dream and a “garage startup” into a world leader in the UAV industry controlling roughly 60% of the global drone market.

Baykar CEO Haluk Bayraktar shared the secrets of the company’s success in an interview with Ukrinform.

“Our journey began with the dream of my late father, Özdemir Bayraktar, to make Türkiye independent in high technology. For us, this work was much more than a commercial activity — it was a national ideal,” Bayraktar explained.

He noted that the company did not focus on drones immediately, but over the last 20 years has concentrated on this sector.

“We started with the Bayraktar Mini UAV, and we perfected the Bayraktar TB2 with feedback from the field. Each of our projects became the foundation for the next. This accumulation carried us to strategic platforms such as AKINCI and KIZILELMA,” the CEO said.

Bayraktar cited the National Technology Initiative (the national strategy for the development of Türkiye’s technology sector until 2030) as a key source of motivation.

“At the same time, we work with Türkiye’s brightest, youngest, and most dynamic minds. We trust them, we give them responsibility. We create an environment where they are not afraid to make mistakes, where they constantly experiment and produce. The true owners of our success are our teammates who have dedicated themselves to this journey,” he emphasized.

According to Bayraktar, a major advantage for the company is the speed of decision-making and the involvement of military personnel in the development of combat UAVs that are deployed on the battlefield.

“For us, feedback from the field — especially from the world’s most challenging battlefield, Ukraine — is the most valuable input for R&D. We maintain a constant 24/7 flow of communication and data with all our users,” Bayraktar stressed.

As reported by Ukrinform, the Turkish company Baykar sees helping Ukraine as a moral duty and considers the construction of a drone manufacturing plant in Ukraine a symbol of faith in the country’s future.

Photo: Baykar