The delivery ceremony was also attended by Vice President Fuat Oktay, Parliament Speaker Mustafa Şentop, Industry and Technology Minister Mustafa Varank, National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, Chief of General Staff Gen. Yaşar Güler, and Baykar CEO Haluk Bayraktar and Chief Technology Officer Selçuk Bayraktar.
After observing Akıncı's taxiing, takeoff, and low flight maneuvering, Erdoğan toured the aircraft control center.
Selçuk Bayraktar told reporters after the ceremony that with the experience they gained, they also worked on an unmanned warplane. He said producing unmanned warplanes has been their dream for about 10 years.
Noting that serial production of the Akıncı drone continues, he said they have produced the ninth aerial vehicle, but not all of them were mass-produced.
Contracts for exports of Turkey's domestically produced Bayraktar TB2 drones have been signed for more than 10 countries, he said, adding that it has flown in four countries besides Turkey.
"Since Akıncı is of course a much more strategic platform, it attracted much more attention when we first started designing it and in the later stages. First of all, we said that we would evaluate those demands by completing our own production, perfecting the aircraft, and making it ready for mass production," he said.
"There is also a serious demand for the Akıncı since it is a very rare aircraft in a higher class," he added.
Underlining that the Akıncı will be used in more strategic missions, he said: "It can carry a much wider range of ammunition. It can carry all ammunition including air-to-ground, cruise missiles, air-to-air. Its mission capacity is very high."
On July 8, the Bayraktar Akıncı made Turkish aviation history by climbing to 38,039 feet (11,594 meters)-a new record-in a flight that lasted for 25 hours and 46 minutes.
The Akıncı, which to date has made 874 sorties in test and training flights, hit its targets with full accuracy in a July 5 firing test with warhead ammunition developed by Turkish rocket maker Roketsan.
