Turkish Bayraktar Akıncı drones breach Aegean airspace, heightening Greek‑Turkish tensions

In early August, unmanned aircraft of the Bayraktar Akıncı type, built by Turkey’s Baykar Technology, entered the Greek‑controlled Aegean airspace, violating the long‑standing de‑facto peace line between the two nations. The drones are produced by the Baykar firm, founded in 1986 by the Bayraktar brothers. Its chief executive, Selçuk Bayraktar, is the son‑in‑law of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, having married the president’s daughter in 2016. The incursion has prompted diplomatic protests from Athens and raised concerns about the expanding role of Turkish UAVs in regional security.

The episode underscores the intertwining of Turkey’s defence industry growth with political ties to the Erdogan family, and it adds pressure to already fragile Greek‑Turkish relations in the Eastern Mediterranean.