A Turkish defense contractor has agreed to donate the $6m (£4.7m) unmanned armed drone, for which Lithuania crowdfunded, in support of the war of Ukraine against the Russian invaders.
The donation of the Bayraktar TB2 drone is part of what appears to be a tightening of security and defense ties between Ankara and Vilnius ahead of a critical NATO summit in Madrid later this month.
“It’s unbelievable, but Turkey just agreed to give Bayraktar that Lithuania collected money for free!” Arvydas Anusauskas, Lithuanian Defense Minister wrote Thursday in a tweet sprinkled with capital letters, exclamation marks and emojis.
Millions raised so far from a Lithuanian journalist’s campaign to buy the drone would be spent on buying precision missiles for the unmanned aerial vehicle and providing other support to Ukraine, he said. he writes.
The weapon, produced by Istanbul-based Baykar Technologies, was made famous for its effective use by Ukrainian forces against Russian invaders. A photo released on Thursday shows Mr Anusauskas’ deputy, Vilius Semaska, posing next to a Bayraktar TB2 alongside senior Baykar executives Haluk and Selcuk Bayraktar, son-in-law of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“The Lithuanian people have honorably raised funds to purchase a Bayraktar TB2 for Ukraine,” Baykar said. said in a report. “Upon learning of this, Baykar will donate a Bayraktar TB2 to Lithuania for free and request that these funds go to Ukraine for humanitarian aid.”
TV journalist and activist Andrius Tapinas raised the money in three and a half days, mostly with donations below £50, according to a press release.
“We are also issuing a powerful challenge for every European,” Mr Tapinas said in the press release. “Lobby your stars, your companies and your politicians, asking them: why can’t we do the same [that] this crazy country did it in a few days.
News of Turkey’s donation of the drone came a day after Mr Semaska signed an agreement that would pave the way for cooperation with Turkey’s Defense Industry Agency, which oversees the defense industry. the armament of the country. By law, Ankara must approve any arms export.
“The acquisition of combat drones is in the plans, possibly also a Bayraktar,” Anusaskas told reporters on Tuesday, declining to give details of specific purchases. “What previously seemed unconvincing or inappropriate for our conditions is changing, and attitudes are changing.”
The two NATO nations will both take part in a potentially contentious summit on June 29 in Madrid, where the military alliance will discuss Sweden and Finland joining the bloc.
Turkey has opposed the entry of the two long-neutral countries over their alleged support for autonomy-seeking Kurdish organizations that Ankara sees as a security threat.
Lithuania, like the other two Baltic states, Estonia and Latvia, is gaining influence and importance among the most active and active members of the ad hoc coalition supporting Ukraine against the Russian invaders. The three former Soviet republics are among the top five donors to Ukraine as a percentage of GDP.
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan held a call with his counterparts in the Baltic states, all of whom have been historically threatened by various leaders in Moscow, in which he “underscored the United States’ ironclad commitment to the NATO Article 5,” which would trigger an alliance-wide response to any attack on a member, according to a White House press release.
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Source: www.independent.co.uk
This notice was published: 2022-06-02 18:19:28
