Erdogan says Turkey, Serbia to jointly develop defence industry

Turkey's President, Recep Tayip Erdogan, has said Friday that Turkey and Serbia have decided to work together to develop their defence industries.

During his visit to Belgrade, the Turkish leader also announced that part of their co-operation would also be Turkish fears that would be donated to Serbia.

“Turkey and Serbia must take steps together, but these steps are the common formation of a defence industry, to ensure peace”, Erdogan said at a joint conference with Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq in Belgrade.

International demands for Turkish fears -- mainly fears TB2 Bayraktare -- have increased well after their impact on the conflicts in Syria, Libya, Azerbaijan and Ukraine. The Turkish company Baykar said it has signed export agreements with 30 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, Ethiopia, Kosovo and Poland.

Erdogan said Ankara and Belgrade would use their resources “as two friendly countries to boost co-operation, warning that no country should try to intervene, even if it does not like it.

Erdogan promised an unprecedented number of fears even to Albania during his visit to Tirana the day before.

Earlier, Erdogan said relations between Turkey and Serbia are at <x0) golden timeline”.

Vuciq has said the two leaders have discussed important geopolitical topics, as well as problems facing the two countries.

“Turkey and Serbia have my economic relations. We've tripled the trade trade trade, compared to a few years ago”, Vuciq said.

The Serbian president has said that compliance has been achieved to improve relations and co-operation in the defence and military industry.

Erdogan has met with Vuciqi in Belgrade, within the framework of his two-day visit to Serbia.

On the day of the Turkish president's arrival in Serbia on October 10th, the Government of Serbia has approved several memorandums of understanding between Serbia and Turkey in areas such as employment, social security, economy, industry and technology, media and information, youth and sports, and as emergency management.

This is the fourth Turkish president's visit to Serbia since 2017.

On Erdogan's preliminary visit to Belgrade in September 2022, Serbia has said it wants to buy Bayraktar drones, but their purchase has never been realised.

A global protocol has been reached that has enabled citizens of Serbia and Turkey to travel to the two countries only with IDs.

Turkey is fourth in the list of states from which Serbia has mostly imported in 2023.

Turkish companies are present in Serbia in textile, construction, mechanical industry, banks and tourism.

The two countries have good relations but do not agree on the Kosovo issue.

Ankara recognises this state's independence, while Serbia does not. /REL