Unidentified Drone Discovered in Türkiye as Ankara Probes Series of Aerial Incidents
The Turkish Interior Ministry, which has opened an investigation into that incident, said initial findings suggested the drone was a Russian-made Orlan-10, typically used for reconnaissance and surveillance missions.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — An unmanned aerial vehicle of unknown origin has been discovered in Türkiye, less than a day after another drone of suspected Russian origin crashed in the country’s northwest, Turkish media reported on Saturday, amid growing security concerns linked to the war in Ukraine.
According to several independent television networks and the Cumhuriyet newspaper, the drone was found in an empty field near the town of Balikesir, approximately three hours southwest of Istanbul.
Turkish authorities had not immediately commented on the incident, but broadcasters Halk TV and Haberturk reported that the device was transported to Ankara for technical analysis.
Citing local farmers, multiple media outlets said the crash appeared to have occurred several days earlier. The discovery marks the third drone-related incident in Türkiye since Monday, prompting renewed scrutiny over airspace security.
The latest development comes after Türkiye warned both Russia and Ukraine against allowing their ongoing war to spill over into neighboring countries and the wider region. On Friday, Turkish authorities attributed another unmanned aerial vehicle found near the city of Izmit—around 30 kilometers south of the Black Sea coast—to Russia.
The Turkish Interior Ministry, which has opened an investigation into that incident, said initial findings suggested the drone was a Russian-made Orlan-10, typically used for reconnaissance and surveillance missions.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly cautioned against the Black Sea becoming an “area of confrontation” between Russia and Ukraine, which sit on opposite shores of the strategic waterway across from Türkiye.
Ankara has voiced particular concern over recent attacks on vessels in the Black Sea, warning that escalation threatens regional stability and vital trade routes.
Earlier this week, Türkiye shot down a drone that approached its airspace from the Black Sea after it reportedly lost control, according to the Turkish Defense Ministry. F-16 fighter jets were scrambled, and the drone was destroyed in a secure area to avoid risks to civilians.
Tensions have intensified following a series of incidents affecting maritime and aerial security. A Turkish ship was damaged in a Russian air strike near Ukraine’s port city of Odesa on Friday, only hours after Erdogan held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ankara has also expressed alarm over Ukrainian-claimed attacks on tankers linked to Russia near Türkiye’s coast.
Türkiye, which borders the Black Sea and lies opposite both Ukraine and Russian-annexed Crimea, has sought to balance relations with Moscow and Kyiv since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
While supplying Ukraine with military equipment, including drones, Ankara has maintained diplomatic and economic ties with Russia, positioning itself as a mediator and urging restraint to prevent the conflict from further spreading into the Black Sea region.