Türkiye'nin İnsansız Hava Aracı (İHA) Teknolojisindeki Gelişimi: 1980 Sonrasından Günümüze Tarihsel Bir İnceleme

This study aims to analyze Turkey's development in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) since the 1980s from a historical perspective. Initially, Turkey started to use UAVs dependent on foreign systems, but since the 2000s, Turkey has made significant breakthroughs in line with domestic and national production policies. In this context, indigenous systems such as Bayraktar TB2, ANKA and Akıncı play a strategic role not only in national security but also in defense industry exports. The methodology of the study is based on secondary data sources; defense industry reports, academic publications and institutional documents were analyzed through a literature review. The findings clearly reveal Turkey's transition from technology transfer to the development of its own indigenous platforms and show that Turkey has become a global UAV producer and exporter, especially in the post-2010 period. Turkey's UAV strategy is an important reflection of its quest for independence in defense technologies, both in terms of its geopolitical implications and domestic political consequences.