Around 16:00 on May 19, 2024, news agencies began reporting the loss of communication with the chopper carrying the President of Iran and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. This immediately drew the attention of the global public, anxiously awaiting updates from Iran and its officials. Thousands of search and rescue teams were deployed, but hours passed without finding any traces or signs of the life of President Ibrahim Raisi and his entourage. The search was hindered by several factors, including bad weather conditions, difficult terrain where the chopper was believed to have crashed, the onset of darkness, and the lack of high-tech search and rescue equipment in Iran. Despite their efforts, no trace had been found even after hours of searching.
At 20:00 on May 19, 2024, officials from the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested night vision search and rescue assistance from the Turkish Ministry of National Defense. In response, the Ministry of National Defense decided to deploy the Bayraktar Akinci A5 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to Iran. The Akinci A5 arrived at the suspected crash site at 00:45 on Monday and commenced search operations. It scanned the area and identified locations with traces of heat, sharing these coordinates with Iranian authorities at 02:37, allowing the search efforts to focus on these points. By 05:46, the wreckage of the chopper carrying President Raisi was found at the coordinates provided by the Akinci. Officials who reached the site reported that nine people, including President Raisi and Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, had been killed.
Iran’s failure to find the wreckage and the Turkish Akinci UAV’s finding the wreckage within hours brought Akinci UAVs and the Turkish defense industry, which has already shown its weight in many conflict documents, to the agenda again.
Over the past 20 years, Türkiye’s defense industry has increasingly focused on investment in defense technologies. Historical challenges in accessing defense industry vehicles propelled Turkey to develop its own defense capabilities. Following 2002, the country began emphasizing the production of national defense vehicles as part of the “national technology movement.” The Turkish defense industry has made significant strides, particularly in the production and development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Notable UAVs introduced by Turkey include the Akıncı, Aksungur, ANKA, Bayraktar, and Karayel.
The Akıncı UAV, developed by Baykar Defence, is an advanced technology unmanned aerial vehicle of Turkey. Making its first flight in 2019, it entered the Turkish Armed Forces inventory in 2021. The Akıncı features a 20-meter wingspan, a maximum take-off weight of 5,500 kg, and can reach altitudes up to 40,000 feet (approximately 12,200 meters) with a range of 7,500 km. Capable of staying airborne for up to 24 hours, it is powered by a twin turboprop engine and can carry a payload of 1,350 kg, including various ammunition and smart bombs. Equipped with high-tech sensors and communication systems, the Akıncı is suited for missions involving intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, target detection and destruction, electronic warfare, and signal intelligence. Notable for its endurance, high-altitude operation, versatility, and reduction of foreign dependency through domestic technologies, the Akıncı is exported to Türkiye’s friendly and allied countries, in addition to serving the Turkish Armed Forces and security forces.
Akıncı UAVs have played critical roles in Türkiye’s defense and security operations. These unmanned aerial vehicles are effectively utilized in attack missions as well as intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. In the eastern and southeastern regions of Turkey, Akıncı UAVs are extensively employed to detect and track terrorist elements as part of counter-terrorism efforts. They also play a crucial role in border security operations, conducting patrol flights to prevent illegal crossings and terrorist infiltration along the Syrian and Iraqi borders. Additionally, during the earthquakes in Turkey in February 2022, Akinci and Bayraktar TB2 UAVs were deployed to assess damage from the air, flying for a total of 2,417 hours and 6 minutes.
While the Akıncı A5 was conducting the debris search, Türkiye’s Anadolu Agency broadcast the footage live on X, attracting millions of viewers. Approximately 2.5 million people followed the live broadcast on Anadolu Agency, and around 200,000 tracked the flight on the FlightRadar24 application, resulting in a total of over 2.7 million followers.
During the search efforts, false reports circulated in the Iranian media claiming there was no wreckage at the coordinates provided by the Akıncı. However, Anadolu Agency refuted these unfounded claims by sharing images and videos captured by the Akıncı. The Turkish Akıncı UAV demonstrated its effectiveness by locating the wreckage, flying at low altitude despite adverse weather conditions.
Although Iran and Turkey sometimes clash on regional and global issues, they have recently begun efforts to reduce tensions and improve bilateral relations through mutual visits and statements. Following President Raisi’s visit to Turkey on January 24, 2024, both leaders agreed on a “joint fight against terrorism” and committed to cooperating on this front. Additionally, during the same meeting, they set a target of $30 billion in the energy sector. However, the impact of President Raisi’s tragic death on achieving these goals will only become clear after the presidential election in Iran.
After the death of the President in this tragic accident, Vice President Muhammad Mokhber, authorized by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, became Iran’s acting President. Although the leader’s death has caused a shock in Iran, it is unlikely that there will be a disruption in the administration. During searching for wreckage, Supreme Leader Khamenei announced on X account that “The nation doesn’t need to be worried or anxious as the administration of the country will not be disrupted at all”. With this statement, he shows that state affairs would continue as normal. According to the Iranian constitution, elections must be held within 50 days. After the elections, it will become clearer what kind of domestic and foreign policies Iran will pursue.
Despite the painful situation in the region, Turkey emerged as a beneficiary of this process, largely due to the exemplary performance of the Akıncı UAV and Türkiye’s supportive stance toward Iran. It can be argued that this outcome will bolster the demand for Türkiye’s UAVs and UCAVs, consequently propelling Turkey to the forefront in this field.