The leaders of Turkey and Serbia said their countries might begin jointly producing military drones.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on October 11 during a visit to Belgrade that he and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic discussed the capabilities that the Turkish industry has in air assets, adding that could be a basis for cooperation in the defense industries of the two countries.
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Serbian, Turkish Presidents Agree To Strengthen Cooperation
Asked whether the joint military industry cooperation would include the production of Bayraktar drones, Erdogan said: "Serbia has certain capacities…and as friendly countries we can develop our capacities together."
Speaking at a joint news conference with Vucic, he said that cooperation in a dedicated industry is necessary to protect peace.
Serbia had planned to purchase Bayraktar military drones from Turkey, but it announced in 2023 that it had abandoned the plan in response to the delivery of drones from Turkey to Kosovo, a former Serbian province whose independence Serbia does not recognize.
Vucic said last year that the delivery of the drones to Kosovo was "neither easy nor good news for us and it will affect our relations" with Turkey. But while hosting Erdogan in Belgrade on October 11, he said the Turkish military industry "is significantly stronger than ours" and he saw "room for great cooperation" with it.
Vucic said he had "great confidence" in Erdogan and his "attitude toward peace and stability," and noted that Serbia recently renewed export licenses for Turkey and subsequently exported a significant portion of shells to the Turkish market.
During Erdogan's visit, Serbia and Turkey signed agreements in various areas, including trade, energy, and emergency situations.
The two leaders also discussed regional and geopolitical issues, underscoring the importance of peace and stability in the Balkans and a common-sense approach when it comes to the tensions between Serbia and Kosovo.
Turkey again confirmed its determination to protect stability in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Erdogan said, while Vucic reiterated that Serbia supported the not only the territorial integrity of Bosnia, but also the integrity of Republika Srpska within it.
Asked what concrete steps Serbia and Turkey intend to take to ensure the stability of the Balkans, Vucic said that Erdogan had many ideas.
"Accordingly, we will try to spread and show somewhat different signs and signals toward Bosnia and Herzegovina, and vice versa to guarantee those who come after us security, peace, and commitment to solving problems, especially economic development," Vucic said.