Kosovo Drone Deal Part of Turkish ‘Political Project’ in the Balkans

Coinciding with Turkey taking command of NATO-led peacekeeping efforts in Kosovo, Pristina’s purchase of Turkish-made Skydagger ‘kamikaze’ drones has further strengthened the military partnership between the two countries, to the anger of Serbia.

The two developments were not necessarily coordinated, but together they serve to underscore Ankara’s growing prominence as a security partner of Kosovo and a leading arms exporter to the region at a time of higher military expenditure in Europe in light of Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.

The Skydagger acquisition follows Kosovo’s 2023 purchase of Turkey’s Bayraktar TB2 unmanned attack drones from the same manufacturer, Baykar, headed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s son-in-law Selcuk Bayraktar.