Belgrade: Turkey and Serbia’s leaders suggested on Friday that their nations may collaborate on the production of military drones. This potential partnership follows a Turkish shipment of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to Kosovo, which had previously angered officials in the Serbian capital.
Serbia had initially planned to procure Bayraktar military drones from Turkey. However, in 2023, the Serbian government announced it would abandon this plan after Turkey’s delivery of drones to Kosovo, a former Serbian province that declared independence in 2006—an act Serbia does not recognize.
The Kosovo government stated that the five Turkish drones would enhance its defense capabilities against potential Serbian aggression. Serbia’s violent crackdown on Kosovo Albanian separatists from 1998 to 1999 led to a NATO air campaign aimed at halting the bloodshed.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic acknowledged last year that the delivery of drones to Kosovo was “neither easy nor good news” for Serbia and would negatively impact relations with Turkey. He indicated that Serbia would seek to acquire drones from other sources.
Shift in Stance Following Erdogan’s Visit
However, Vucic’s position appeared to shift during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Belgrade. At a joint press conference, Vucic remarked, “The Turkish military industry is significantly stronger than ours. But, without false modesty, we are not to be neglected either. Within those frameworks, I see room for great cooperation.” He emphasized that while Serbia is not interested in conflicts, it needs sufficient military capability for deterrence.
When asked about the possibility of jointly producing Bayraktar drones, Erdogan responded: “Serbia has certain capacities, we have certain capacities, and as friendly countries, we can develop our capacities together.” He noted that while some may view their cooperation favorably, others would not, stressing the importance of sovereign decision-making.
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During a recent visit to Albania, Erdogan announced Turkey would donate an unspecified number of Bayraktar drones to the Balkan nation “so no one could dare to attack it.” Additionally, Bosnia, another Serbian neighbor, has expressed interest in acquiring the same drone models, while NATO member Romania has already integrated Bayraktar TB2 UAVs into its military.
Serbia’s Military Expansion Raises Concerns
Serbia has been enhancing its military capabilities, including a recent order for 12 French-made Rafale fighter jets valued at USD 3 billion. Selling Rafale jets to Serbia—an ally of Russia—has raised concerns about how France will prevent the transfer of advanced technology to Moscow, especially given Serbia’s occasionally aggressive posture toward its Balkan neighbors.
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Most of Serbia’s neighbors are members of NATO and the European Union. Vucic has stated that Serbia will never join NATO due to its “aggression” regarding Kosovo. Despite formally seeking EU membership, Serbia has made limited progress in crucial areas such as rule of law and democratic reforms under Vucic’s increasingly authoritarian leadership, which are prerequisites for joining the 27-nation bloc.
