On Monday , the Turkish Navy received the first drone carrier, the " TCG Anadolu ", which is designed to allow the landing and take-off of Turkish combat drones.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is seeking to win a new presidential term in the elections scheduled for May, said that the Turkish "Bayraktar TB3" and "Qizil Elma" drones, as well as the "Hurjit" light attack jet trainer, will be "able to land and take off." of them,” according to what was reported by the official Turkish news agency Anadolu.

The aircraft carrier "TCG Anadolu" is 231 meters long, 32 meters wide, and its maximum payload is 27 thousand tons and 436 kg, and it is the largest Turkish warship.

According to the Turkish agency, the ship "can accommodate 10 helicopters and 11 attack drones, while its hangar can carry 19 helicopters or 30 attack drones, in addition to accommodating a crew of 1,223."

The ship, which began construction in 2016, is capable of transporting 94 military vehicles, including 13 tanks.

The defense industry sector in Turkey, which is a member of NATO, has witnessed development in recent years, especially due to the success of its marches, which have become the pride of the Turkish industry.
The "TB2" model of the Bayraktar drone, which is produced by the Bayrak Company (one of Erdogan's sons-in-law and co-director), has proven its effectiveness in Libya and Azerbaijan, and then in Ukraine, where these drones were used shortly after the start of the Russian invasion last year.

Since then, Ankara, which has repeatedly shown its strength in the eastern Mediterranean, has been making redoubled efforts on the mediation line between Kiev and Moscow.

Erdogan indicated, during the ceremony for the Turkish Navy's handover of the "TCG Anadolu" ship, that the drone carrier could be used in military operations, but also "in natural disasters and humanitarian operations."

And last year, China unveiled its first drone carriers, in a move that reflects the growing importance of these unmanned aircraft in modern warfare.