[Skybird]

FOCUS:
In the course of its war in Ukraine, Russia is showing interest in the Turkish Bayraktar TB2 combat drone, which has also been successfully deployed there by Kiev. The issue of military-technical cooperation will also be discussed at Russian President Vladimir Putin's meeting with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Sochi on the Black Sea on Aug. 5, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday.

Earlier, Russia had dismissed speculation that it wanted to buy drones from Iran. Putin and Erdogan had met last week in the Iranian capital, Tehran. Now Peskov said the fact that the two sides also talked about such sensitive issues showed how close the two countries' cooperation was.

Russia had previously sold its S-400 missile defense system to Turkey, which is a NATO member, to the annoyance of the United States. Now, according to reports, there will be a quid pro quo from the Turkish side.

Earlier, Erdogan had reported Putin's interest. Putin had proposed to work together with Turkey on the drones of the company Baykar, Erdogan had said on Tuesday, according to the broadcaster CNN Türk. A corresponding factory could be established in the United Arab Emirates, he said. The Emirates had offered this, Erdogan said.

Turkey's Bayraktar TB2 combat drone is considered an export hit. The drones have been used in several conflicts, for example on the side of Azerbaijan in the conflict with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. It is also considered precise and effective and can stay in the air for up to 27 hours.

Ukraine also uses Bayraktar drones. At the beginning of Putin's war of aggression, videos of Russian tanks presumably destroyed by these drones circulated on the Internet. Should Russia develop the drones together with Turkey, Moscow would thus also gain access to the technology of a NATO member state.
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If Turkey proceeds with delivering Russia weaponry like this, this must mean that NATO finally kicks this treacherous nation out. We must demand and expect an immediate, final and unconditional refusal by Erdoghan. If he does not accept, Turkey must be thrown out.