A report by Eurasian Times states that Turkey is going to export drones to India. In the next two weeks, before the end of the year, Turkish drone manufacturing company Zyrone will ship the first mini multi-rotor drone to India. According to local media reports, nearly 100 drones are planned to be delivered next year by the company.
As reported by TFI, DCM Shriram in August had signed a partnership deal with Zyrone Dynamics on the sidelines of the International Defense Industries Fair (IDEF) in Istanbul.
The Indian company acquired 30 percent shares of the company worth $1 million. During the partnership period, Zyrone Dynamics will supply the company with technological assistance for two variations of UAVs at various intervals, and both parties will assist each other in marketing the products in India and across the world.
At the time, the Indian embassy in Turkey took to Twitter to share the news by tweeting, “A new beginning – welcome Indian investment in the defence sector….. Partnership agreement between @DCMShriramLtd of India and @zyronedynamics of Turkey signed at #IDEF2021 in Istanbul in the presence of @AmbSanjayPanda”
A new beginning – welcome Indian investment in the defence sector…..
Partnership agreement between @DCMShriramLtd of India and @zyronedynamics of Turkey signed at #IDEF2021 in Istanbul in the presence of @AmbSanjayPanda
🇮🇳🤝🇹🇷@SSB_Eng @anadoluagency @ANI @airnewsalerts pic.twitter.com/DkSBW0q9k2— India in Türkiye (@IndianEmbassyTR) August 18, 2021
Drones are the future of warfare
Drones are the future of modern warfare and we saw a sneak peek of their importance during last year’s Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict. As reported extensively by TFI, the 2020 Azerbaijan-Armenia war will go down in history as the first war where drones single-handedly turned the tide in the favour of the former.
Drone strikes destroyed artillery and air defense systems along with tanks belonging to Armenian and Nagorno-Karabakh forces. In addition to drones from Israel, long considered a UAV superpower, Azerbaijan also used drones purchased from Turkey.
The performance of the Turkish drones attracted worldwide attention, which had also been used in the conflicts in Libya and Syria to attack Russian-designed tanks and air defence systems.
India extracting benefit out of Turkey’s misery
Turkey is in a crisis mode right now and it can do with some money flowing into its country through the companies. India is merely taking advantage of a defeated enemy and using it to strengthen its borders. New Delhi is already working in close proximity with Israel and having Turkey’s drone system will make it quite frankly, a formidable force in the air.
Moreover, India is playing the long game by engaging with the small countries that consider Turkey as its enemy. Alarmed by the increasing Turkey-Pakistan nexus and Turkey’s support for the Kashmir issue, India decided to counter the Erdogan administration.
For the last few years, India has been developing a strategic cooperative relationship with Turkey’s neighbours such as Armenia, Cyprus, and Greece.
Armenia, Cyprus and Greece – India’s allies
Reportedly, after Erdogan raised the Kashmir bogey at the UNGA once again in September this year, India’s External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar met his Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides and held discussions on the economic relationship between India and Cyprus.
Similarly, in October, India and Armenia discussed plans to include Iran’s Chabahar port in the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). INSTC is India’s counter to the Chinese Belt and Road initiative. To be more specific, India-Russia cooperation for INSTC stands as a counter to the China-Pakistan nexus in BRI.
Ever since Erdogan converted Hagia Sophia to a Mosque, Greece has been up in arms about it. India already has friendly connections with the European nation and the common enemy in Turkey has brought them closer. Greece has even urged the Indian Navy to come and drop its anchors in the Mediterranean to keep Ankara quiet.
Read more: We must counter the Turkey-Pakistan alliance,’ Greece urges India for military cooperation
Turley’s freefalling economy
As far as the economic front is concerned, Erdogan is ensuring that Turkey continues to rot in the mud. As reported by TFI, inflation in Turkey has surged over 21 percent. Despite the inflation, the Turkish central bank announced a 1% reduction in its benchmark repo rate to 14% on Thursday. This has further strained the already-stressed Lira, which has lost its valuation by 40% against the dollar over the past month.
Read More: Turkey shuts down its own markets as Lira enters freefall
The Turkish President keeps cutting interest rates at regular intervals and cracks down on rational economists in his government who advocate increasing interest rates. The inclusion in the FATF grey list in October has further squeezed its economy.
Turkey has understood that pairing with Pakistan was not yielding any tangible profits. Albeit, the misery was being compounded. Thus, breaking the Islamic triangle, Turkey has started supplying drones.
It is a symbolic move and New Delhi is not letting its guard down, just now. Turkey is still funding a host of extremist activities in India, and until Erdogan doesn’t pull its entire sleeper cell machinery out, India will keep a close vigil. Meanwhile, Pakistan will be feeling nauseous that its master that gave the lollipop of Kashmir is now in the pocket of New Delhi.