The approval came after Albanian Interior Minister Bledar Çuçi and military officials paid a visit to Turkey.
After visiting the Bayraktar production facility in Istanbul, Çuçi signaled that his country would likely purchase the drone. "We are evaluating the possibility of using Turkish UCAVs for civilian and military purposes in Albania," he said.
Among the countries using Bayraktar TB2 UCAVs, Poland's interest was particularly important since it became the first NATO member state to commit to purchasing the Turkish drones.
The country signed the related agreement to purchase 24 Bayraktar TB2s back in May.
Authorities in Turkey say the country has become the world's fourth-largest drone producer since Ankara took the helm for domestic production to reduce reliance on Western arms.
The Bayraktar – with its electronic, software, aerodynamic, design and sub-main systems fully designed and developed nationally – stands out among the world's most advanced UAV systems in its class with its flight automation and performance.
It has a record altitude of 27,030 feet for over 24 hours in the air and can carry 150 kilograms (over 330 pounds) of payload. It can operate day and night.
The drone was first delivered to the TSK in 2014 and upgraded with armaments for the first time in 2015. It is currently used by the Gendarmerie General Command, General Directorate of Security Forces and the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) in their operations.
Apart from the Bayraktar TB2, another drone developed by a Turkish firm, namely the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), the Anka medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) UCAV, drew attention abroad with Tunisia becoming the first country to acquire the product.
