Kosovo gets five fears bought by Turkey” What does the Ministry of Defense say?

The Express newspaper has asked the Ministry of Defence for these reports, but only a general response has been returned from this institution, where neither the equipment with these fears is confirmed nor denied.

Ibrahim Shala from this minister has only told Gazeta Express that KSF is under way in line with the Entire Transition Plan, which includes investment in the purchase of more modern military equipment.

The Kosovo Security Force since 2019 is under way in line with the Entire Transition Plan, with the focus of establishing professional and operational capacities, including investment in the purchase of more modern military equipment. In constant co-ordination with our strategic partners for this, we are constantly engaged, with the aim of advancing the military to NATO standards level, to serve peace and security in the country, the region, and the wider”, says Shala's response.

Kosovo's interest in buying Turkey's famous fears had been revealed by Regional Development Minister Fikrim Damka, during an interview last December.

Damka had said Kosovo has it on the agenda and that it is working to buy Turkish production fears, Bayraktar. The exact price of these fears is unknown, but it is estimated that one costs about 5m euros.

Damka had said this is a long-term process, until she added that any weapons purchase “would be used only for the country's defence”.

Of course the issue of gun-defence is in our schedule. In this regard our country develops works every time. Visiting has been accomplished. Our president [Vjosa Osmani] and Defence Minister [Armend Mehaj] have visited Bayraktar fears in the country. This is a long-term process. Every state wants to have domestic fears at its military arsenal warehouse”, Damka told AA, without providing further details.

President Osmani had paid visits to the company “Baykar”, during a visit that had taken place in Turkey in February 2022. In announcing this visit, he had mentioned the country's interest in having these types of fears of military arsenal.

I started the “Visita in Turkey at the subservation plant “Baycar” in Istanbul, which is an inspiring story of achievements in the realm of technological advancement and innovation related to the defence and security sector”, Osmani had written.

Two months after Osman, the factory in question was also visited by Defence Minister Armend Mehay.

He had announced that he was recently notified by Baykar Company Executive Chief Haluk Bayraktar,

I've developed my next appointment at Baycar Company. During this visit, chief executive of Baykar Company, Mr. Haluk Bayraktari introduced me to the nearest and latest technology being produced in this company. Thank you, Mr. President. Bayraktar for his respect for Kosovo and high readiness for Kosovo to offer the best” elections, Mehe had written.

What's the “Bayraktar”?

This type of drone has for the first time flown in 2014 and was held in Turkey by Selcuk Bayrakar, a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is likened to American Elon Mook, the unique military plane he has developed, and to a presence on social networks, where he is often cruel to his critics.

Bayraktar, who is chief of technology at the Baykar defence company, in 2016 married the daughter of Turkey's president, Recep Tayip Erdogan.

Bayraktar TB2 can stay in the sky for up to 27 hours, which is enabled by a simple propeller engine and can also fly up to 150 kilometers from its base. This butterfly can also be equipped with four anti-x0mic rockets of smart ammunition”, which are precise enough to destroy armoured vehicles from several miles away.

Such cables of the TB2 type are used by armies of some states and have also been sent to Ukraine to help Kiev forces fight against Russian occupation.

Despite the price of a TB 2 Bayraktari has not been made public, the collection of funds earlier this year was organised to buy such fears for Ukraine, and organisers of the collection of these funds had suggested that 5m euros are enough for a threat.