Turkey sees 367% increase in UAV pilot applications

Turkey has seen a massive surge in interest regarding unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). According to Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, the Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, applications to become a UAV pilot have increased by 367 percent compared to the same period last year.

Since the beginning of 2026, 237,040 individuals have applied for pilot certification. As of August 28, 2026, the total number of licensed UAV pilots in the country has reached 1,845,456. The number of registered UAVs in the Civil Aviation General Directorate’s registration system has also grown, totaling 94,230 vehicles, with 5,300 new units registered since the start of the year.

The expanding use of UAVs spans multiple sectors, including agricultural spraying, photography, cinematography, mapping, traffic management, security, logistics, and healthcare.