Executive Summary
This study analyzes Türkiye's UAV diplomacy as a geopolitical instrument, focusing on the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War. It demonstrates how Turkish-made UCAVs significantly enhanced Azerbaijan's military capabilities and reshaped regional power dynamics. Türkiye's defense industry-oriented foreign policy now plays a critical role in projecting power and influencing international relations.
Why It Matters
This document is crucial for defense and geopolitical analysts as it illustrates how indigenous defense industrial capacity, specifically UAV technology, can be leveraged as a foreign policy tool to reshape regional power balances and project influence in conflict zones.
Key Takeaways
- Turkish-made UCAVs, particularly the Bayraktar TB2, were decisive in Azerbaijan's victory in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War, degrading Armenian defenses and providing battlefield superiority.
Source evidence · PDF page 1
The findings indicate that the operational effectiveness of Turkish-made UCAVs, particularly the Bayraktar TB2, significantly strengthened Azerbaijan’s military capabilities by degrading Armenian defensive systems and contributing to battlefield superiority.
- Türkiye's provision of UCAV-based military support to Azerbaijan solidified its position as an emerging regional power and challenged Russia's traditional dominance in the South Caucasus.
Source evidence · PDF page 3
By providing Azerbaijan with critical military support via UCAVs, Türkiye not only influenced the trajectory of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict but also consolidated its position as an emerging regional power.
- The success of Turkish UAVs in Nagorno-Karabakh significantly boosted their global visibility and exports, positioning Türkiye as a cost-effective alternative supplier in the international arms market.
Source evidence · PDF page 8
The ability of Türkiye to offer advanced defence products—particularly UAV and UCAV systems—at comparatively lower costs than their Western counterparts has positioned it as an alternative supplier to established defence exporters such as the United States, China, and Russia.
Strategic Relevance
The study highlights the strategic importance of defense industrial autonomy and UAV technology in modern warfare and diplomacy, demonstrating how a state can convert material capabilities into geopolitical leverage and reshape regional security architectures.