BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 21. From 20 to 21
August, Latvia’s Minister of Defence Andris Sprūds is on a working
visit to Ankara, Türkiye, where he will meet with Turkish Defence
Minister Yaşar Guler to discuss current geopolitical issues and
bilateral defense cooperation, including expanding collaboration
within the international Drone Coalition, Trend reports.
During the visit, Minister Sprūds will also hold talks with
representatives of Türkiye’s defense industry, including the
leadership of the Defence Industry Agency (SSB), as well as
executives from leading defense technology companies Aselsan and
Roketsan.
The agenda further includes familiarization with the unmanned
aerial vehicle (UAV) capabilities of the Turkish Armed Forces,
followed by visits to the MKE ammunition factory and the
state-owned defense company ASFAT.
Latvia and Türkiye maintain bilateral defense cooperation in the
field of military education and training. Representatives of the
Ministry of Defence and the National Armed Forces have participated
in NATO’s Partnership for Peace courses in Ankara, as well as other
Turkish military and civilian training programs.
Earlier this year, at the International Drone Summit, Türkiye
announced its intention to join the Drone Coalition. The decision
was formally endorsed on 2 July in Riga during a meeting of the
coalition’s leadership committee.
The Drone Coalition, co-led by Latvia and the United Kingdom,
now consists of 20 member states that have signed a Letter of
Intent: Latvia, the United Kingdom, Australia, Belgium, the Czech
Republic, Denmark, France, Estonia, Italy, New Zealand, Canada,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Türkiye,
Ukraine, Germany, and Sweden.
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