Finland may be interested in buying Turkish-made drones, Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto said. 

Speaking in a press conference in Helsinki on June 1, 2022, Haavisto noted Finland “may be interested in certain Turkish-made weapons systems”, and that drones “could be among those systems”, Turkish news website SavunmaSanayiST reports.  

Haavisto’s comments come against the backdrop of Turkey’s position to block Finland’s and Sweden’s application for NATO membership. 

The three countries conducted a round of talks in late May, and Haavisto – as well as Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson – say the negotiations are going to continue.  

In recent years, the Turkish aeronautical industry has been enjoying a steady rise of arms sales. In particular, the observation and combat drones – such as the famous Bayraktar TB-2 – have been ordered by numerous countries following combat success in various conflicts. 

Their performance has garnered additional attention since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, after the Ukrainian side started releasing videos of Bayraktars attacking Russian equipment and troops.