An important step was taken between Turkey and Italy in the defence industry. The strategic cooperation agreement signed between Baykar and Leonardo in March was officially exchanged at the 4th Turkey-Italy Intergovernmental Summit held in Rome on 29 April 2025. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attended the ceremony at Villa Pamphili Residence.

During the ceremony, the documents related to the memorandum of understanding signed in Rome on 6 March 2025 were handed over by Baykar Chairman Selçuk Bayraktar and Leonardo CEO and General Manager Roberto Cingolani. The agreement will enable the two companies to have a more effective presence in the global defence industry by combining their high-tech competencies in a common structure.

Baykar’s field-proven unmanned aerial vehicle technologies and artificial intelligence-supported systems come together with Leonardo’s expertise in mission systems, payload solutions and European aviation certifications. The agreement includes the establishment of a joint venture to address opportunities in the European unmanned aerial vehicle market.

The co-operation between the two companies is not limited to unmanned aerial vehicles. Electronic systems, payloads, C4I (Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence), artificial intelligence and integrated mission systems are also among the areas of cooperation. Thus, the aim is to integrate multi-domain mission environments and to make these structures usable in international markets.

The joint venture to be established is expected to operate at facilities in the Ronchi dei Legionari, Turin, Rome Tiburtina and Nerviano regions of Italy. With this cooperation, Turkey and Italy have taken a step towards a permanent partnership structure based on high technology in the defence industry.