Ak Sungur; Why Did the New Turkish Drone Alarm Greece?

When The President of the Turkish Defense Industries Corporation Ismail Demir announced that 2021 would be the year of the rise of The Turkish Defense Industries, he was aware of the development of drones and the overloading of its military capabilities, which happened with Ak Sungur, which became the pride of the Turkish marching industry.

Ak Sungur moved to an advanced stage, qualifying itto lead the drones’ arsenal, next to The Berkadar TB2, where Ankara has resolved many of its internal and external battles. 

The entry of this aircraft with its own specifications, into service in the Turkish army, has resonated with neighboring countries that are considered at odds with Turkey and do not secure its side, especially Greece, which has been disturbed by that military development of Turkey, in the midst of existing differences, particularly the conflict in the eastern Mediterranean and the historic crisis of the island of Cyprus.

 

The Most Destructive 

On July 30, 2021, the Turkish Ak Sungur, the heaviest in Turkey's drone fleet, launched its first flight from the capital Ankara, loaded with the most powerful and destructive smart munitions, such as the KGK Siha 82, weighing 340 kg.

The aircraft flew to the maritime state of Sinop, by satellite control. According to Turkey's official Anatolia news agency, Ak Sungur succeeded in hitting the target at an altitude of 20,000 feet and a range of 30 kilometers.

Ak Sungur, or Phoenix-2, nicknamed "Sky Tank," went into testing on March 21, 2019, when Turkish aerospace company Tosach announced the success of the first flight test of a new homemade drone. 

Ak Sungur is the advanced version of the Anka UEV and can fly for 40 hours without the need for supply or anything. 

One of its most important features is that it is powered by two local engines and is able to carry a load of more than 700 kg.

Turkish authorities aim to use the aircraft for long-term missions, at an altitude of up to 40,000 feet, to carry out difficult and complex operations. 

The main tasks for the use of the local aircraft are reconnaissance, surveillance and attack.

The aircraft also includes the new engine developed by Tosach, dubbed "PD170" and first used by Turkey with Ak Sungur aircraft.

 

Greek Concern 

In 2010, Turkey announced the first appearance of the Anka or Phoenix, the old version of Ak Sungur.

Ankara has begun to manufacture a homemade drones, replacing Israel's Heron aircraft, an unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by the Turkish Aerospace Industries Company. 

It was not only the fear of Israeli espionage that Turkey was motivated by the move, as Ankara relied on the United States to provide images of Predator drone aircraft about the movements of PKK fighters.

After a while, Washington refused to provide the Turks with that type of aircraft on the grounds that it feared it would pose a security problem for Israel, although Ankara is also a NATO member just like Washington.

This angered Turkey again, and made it accelerate the pace to complete that national project, later becoming one of the most important producers, developers of the drones, and even exported to other countries, which worried Greece greatly.

According to “Turkey in Arabic” website in Early August 2021, the Greek media launched a campaign against Turkey over the development of its weapons, noting the new "Ak Sungur" drone, referring to the enormous and frightening features of the sky tank.

"Turkey's weapons are confusing now because they announce that a new weapon will be produced every month, so we must monitor them carefully," Greek media said.

Turkish drones in general, which have achieved great success by changing the fate of many conflicts from Azerbaijan to Libya, remain on the list of concerns of the world press, particularly those interested in Turkey's recent rise.

 

Dimensions of Hegemony

Greece's deepest concern for Turkey is not only the rise of its arch-neighbor’s strength, but Ankara's continued strengthening of its military position in Turkish Cyprus, a region where the two countries are experiencing a historic and ongoing conflict.

On May 29, 2021, CNN Turk reported that the Gecitkale military airport in Turkish Cyprus had become a permanent air base for Turkish military forces, where drones were constantly deployed.

"A decision was taken to establish a military base for drones on the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus, two years ago after the maritime agreement with Libya," the website said.

This has particularly upset Athens, as the Airport of "Gecitkale", built as a military base after the Cyprus operation in 1974, is located only 40 kilometers east of Nicosia off Greece, as a point overlooking the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

On May 30, 2021, the U.S. national interest website published an analysis of Turkish marches and military bases: "Since Ankara built the Gecitkale air base in Cyprus, Turkey has become a greater threat, on the shores of countries that meet Cyprus in the Mediterranean."

Especially since it placed the preferred Turkish weapon (Drones) at The Island airport, which gave Ankara access to the atmosphere of Lebanon, Egypt, Libya, Israel, the Palestinian territories and, of course. Greece, he said.

"While previous versions of the drone had only effective access to a range of 100 miles, developments in guidance and operating systems now allow for a significant expansion of drones," the website said, which is exactly the case with Ak Sungur's new version.

"The United States of America should warn of the dangers of Turkish expansion in the drone industry and prohibit the transfer of technology and equipment to Ankara," the website recommended.

"The only strategy that will succeed in the region is to prove (Turkish President Recep Tayyip) Erdogan that Turkey has more to lose than it wants to win," he said.

On May 3, 2021, the U.S. monitoring site stressed that the high and advanced capability of Turkish drones, with Ankara's establishment of military bases in Cyprus, could control the Mediterranean region, against Greece, Egypt, and Cyprus, putting all these countries within the scope of those aircraft. 

Further panic, on May 20, 2021, the Greek official website Grec City Times quoted Erdogan as saying, "Everyone is jealous of us, we have a drone base in Cyprus."

"The messages we will send from Northern Cyprus are of interest not only to the island, but to the entire international community, and if you do not show this determination and do not take this position, they will not take you seriously," Erdogan said.

The Turkish president was talking about Turkish military operations in Cyprus, northern Iraq and Syria, when he said: "Turkey is not 780,000 square kilometers for us, it is everywhere for us."