By Stijn Mitzer
Turkey's rise to a global drone power has drawn attention from all corners of the world. While there likely have been few developments in the past years that have benefited NATO as much as the profileration of the Bayraktar TB2, others maintain that Turkish drones pose a threat to NATO or even world peace. Disregarding the fact that two NATO countries have so far ordered the TB2 and five more NATO member states are presently considering their acquisition, some of the claims from certain American politicians seem to be made on their personal background or family ties. [1]
We previously covered one such back-and-forth after two Members of the United States Congress called for an investigation into Turkey's deployment of unmanned aerial combat vehicles (UCAVs) in a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. [2] The authors of the letter, David Cicilline and Gus Bilirakis, have frequently lobbied on behalf of Armenia and are vocal critics of Turkey. [2] Gus Bilirakis is also of Greek descent and the presence of Greek flags on his website and in his campaign posters leaves little doubt with regards to his political allegiance. [3]
The letter, which can be read in its entirety here, was characterised by a clear lack of neutrality and little understanding of the way Turkish drones have been deployed. [4] One specific claim entailed the use of Turkish drones against Armenian civilians in Nagorno-Karabakh. Not even Armenia has brought substantiated claims of any of its citizens being killed by Azerbaijani drone strikes. The fact that U.S. Members of Congress make such a claim without even feeling the need to provide as much as a source is a blatant disregard for basic political norms.
In the latest back-and-forth, Bob Menendez, a U.S. senator from New Jersey, introduced a piece of legislation that requires the Biden administration to issue a report on Turkish drone exports beginning in 2018 and assess whether Turkey's drone exports are in violation of the US Arms Export Control Act or any other law. [5] [6] The rationale behind the legislation was stated as ''Turkey's drone sales are dangerous, destabilizing and a threat to peace and human rights'', according to U.S. senator Menendez, who in October 2020 married his Armenian wife. [7]
While one could brush off Menendez's vocal critisism as yet another attempt by a member of the United States Senate at taking a foreign policy position based on personal background or family ties, the observant reader might notice that a pattern is beginning to emerge in which Turkey is frequently critized for exporting drones to nations such as Azerbaijan, but Israeli drone exports to Azerbaijan and other several countries are completely ignored. No country has a monopoly on violence or arms exports, and the matter reeks of preferential treatment.
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Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev poses with Israeli-made IAI Harop and SkyStriker loitering munitions. These munitions destroyed at least 74 Armenian armoured fighting vehicles during the Nagorno-Karabakh War. [8] |
Israel is Azerbaijan's largest arms supplier, accounting for 69% percent of Azerbaijan’s arms imports in the last five years. [9] [10] While Turkey is often thought to be a major exporter of military items to Azerbaijan, Turkey accounted for only 2,9% percent of Azerbaijan's imports of major arms from 2011 to 2020. [11] Israel has also helped Azerbaijan circumvent the OSCE arms embargo placed on the country on several occasions by acting as the consignee of weaponry ordered from EU countries, which is then flown to Azerbaijan onboard Azerbaijani cargo aircraft. [12]
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Armenian soldiers run to safety as an Israeli-made IAI Harop loitering munition is about to strike their location. [13] |
(Click on the UAV to get a picture of them in Azerbaijani service)
A complete list of Israeli unmanned aerial vehicles in service with Azerbaijan
![Israel]()
Elbit Skylark![Israel]()
Elbit Hermes 200![Israel]()
Elbit Hermes 450![Israel]()
Elbit Hermes 900![]()
Elbit SkyStriker Early [Loitering munition]![]()
Elbit SkyStriker Late [Loitering munition]![Israel]()
IAI Heron TP![]()
IAI Harop [Loitering munition]![Israel]()
BlueBird Aero ThunderB ![Israel]()
Aeronautics Aerostar![Israel]()
Aeronautics Orbiter 2![Israel]()
Aeronautics Orbiter 3![Israel]()
Aeronautics Orbiter 4![]()
Aeronautics Orbiter-1K [Loitering munition]![]()
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Zarba-K (Azerbaijani-manufactured version of the Orbiter-1K) [Loitering munition]![]()
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İti Qovan (Azerbaijani-manufactured version of the Orbiter-1K) [Loitering munition]![]()
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Shahin (Azerbaijani-manufactured version of the Aerostar)![]()
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Garangush (Azerbaijani-manufactured version of the Orbiter 2)![]()
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Azerbaijani-manufactured version of the Orbiter 3 (Designation unknown)
A complete list of Turkish unmanned aerial vehicles in service with Azerbaijan
The question thus arises with respect to why neither David Cicilline, Gus Bilirakis or Bob Menendez have called for an investigation into Israeli drone exports to uncover whether these are in violation of the U.S. Arms Export Control Act, and to assess if Israeli drone sales are ''dangerous, destabilizing and a threat to peace and human rights''. The answer to this question is perhaps answered by the fact that Bilirakis is the founding Co-Chair of the Congressional Hellenic Israel Alliance while Cicilline's remarks about U.S.-Israel relations are an explicit expression of his warm feelings towards the country. [14] Menendez in turn has been referred to as ''perhaps the most ardent Democratic supporter of Israel in the Senate''. [15]
In October 2009, Menendez sent a letter of protest to Cyprus President Dimitris Christofias for his praise of Cuba's system of governance. [16] In his letter Menendez wrote: "you cannot claim human rights violations by Turkey in your country and then ignore such violations in Cuba'' and ''you cannot take issue with the militarization of northern Cyprus and then ignore the state security apparatus that oppresses the Cuban people." By applying Menendez's own logic to his critism of Turkish drone sales, he cannot take issue with Turkish drone sales to Azerbaijan and then ignore Israeli drone sales to Azerbaijan.
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The charred remains of an Armenian bus after it was struck by an Israeli IAI Harop loitering munition. This bus was used to ferry reservists to Nagorno-Karabakh. The impact of the IAI Harop was actually filmed. |
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An Israeli Aerostar UAS in service with the Ethiopian Air Force. |
The constant ignorance of Israeli arms sales to Azerbaijan and other countries means that U.S. senators like Menendez, Cicilline and Bilirakis are either grossly uninformed, which would be a worrying display of ignorance as it's their job to be informed, or there is a different agenda at play that prevents them from criticising Israeli arms deliveries to Azerbaijan in favour of taking an anti-Turkish stance. Now that Israel's role in arming Azerbaijan is clearly established, one can only logically expect that Menendez, Cicilline and Bilirakis will soon introduce legislations calling for the investigation into Israeli arms exports to Azerbaijan and other countries Turkey is also delivering armament to. If this fails to materialise, perhaps one should see their actions for what they really are: serving the agenda of foreign governments instead of U.S. interests. In this sense they are guilty of the exact same they're accusing Turkey's drone sales of: dangerous and destabilising behavior that could pose a threat to the U.S.-Turkey relationship.
[1] An International Export Success: Global Demand For The Bayraktar TB2 Reaches All Time High https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2021/09/an-international-export-success-global.html
[2] An Analyst’s Perspective: Cicilline and Bilirakis’ Turkish Drone Letter Rebuked https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2021/08/an-analysts-perspective-cicilline-and.html
[3] ''Help Gus Fight For Greece, Cyprus and Greek Orthodoxy in the U.S. Congress!''https://secure.anedot.com/bilirakis-for-congress/c27255c680197e0b74bb1
[5] US Senators file amendments to hold Azerbaijan and Turkey accountable https://en.armradio.am/2021/11/04/us-senators-file-amendments-to-hold-azerbaijan-and-turkey-accountable/
[6] Top US senator introduces amendment to track US drone parts to Turkey https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/top-us-senator-introduces-legislation-track-us-drone-parts-turkey
[7] US Senator Bob Menendez and Nadine Arslanian Married https://nordicmonitor.com/2021/06/erdogans-aide-accuses-top-us-senator-of-being-under-the-influence-of-his-armenian-wife/
[8] The Fight For Nagorno-Karabakh: Documenting Losses On The Sides Of Armenia And Azerbaijan https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2020/09/the-fight-for-nagorno-karabakh.html
[9] Did Azerbaijan’s use of Israeli weapons make the war worse or better? https://www.jpost.com/international/did-azerbaijans-use-of-israeli-weapons-make-the-war-worse-or-better-662442
[10] Arms transfers to conflict zones: The case of Nagorno-Karabakh https://www.sipri.org/commentary/topical-backgrounder/2021/arms-transfers-conflict-zones-case-nagorno-karabakh
[11] Arms transfers to conflict zones: The case of Nagorno-Karabakh https://www.sipri.org/commentary/topical-backgrounder/2021/arms-transfers-conflict-zones-case-nagorno-karabakh
[12] Czech Weapons in Azerbaijan: How a Chassis Turned into a Howitzer https://www.investigace.eu/czech-weapons-in-azerbaijan-how-a-chassis-turned-into-a-howitzer/
[13] Əsrə Bərabər İl https://youtu.be/20oKGIpIVdc?t=534
[14] Foreign Affairs https://bilirakis.house.gov/issues/foreign-affairs
[15] Pro-Israel Senator Menendez Issues Rare Rebuke Over Gaza Media Offices Strike https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/.premium-pro-israel-senator-menendez-issues-rare-rebuke-over-gaza-media-offices-strike-1.9811952
[16] US Senator calls Christofias' Cuba remarks 'disrespectful and insensitive'www.cyprus-mail.com/cyprus/us-senator-calls-christofias-cuba-remarks-disrespectful-and-insensitive
[17] Turkmenistan Parades Newly-Acquired Bayraktar TB2s https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2021/09/turkmenistan-parades-newly-acquired.html
[18] Morocco’s Bayraktar TB2 UCAVs Break Cover #Shorts https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2021/11/moroccos-bayraktar-tb2-ucavs-break.html
[19] Kazakhstan Orders 3 Turkish 'Anka' Medium-Altitude-Long-Range UAVs https://www.defenseworld.net/news/30864/Kazakhstan_Orders_3_Turkish__Anka__Medium_Altitude_Long_Range_UAVs
[20] Turkmenistan’s Parade Analysis: What’s New? https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2021/10/turkmenistans-parade-analysis-whats-new.html
[21] Morocco Partners With Israel to Develop Local Loitering Munitions Industry https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2021/09/344481/morocco-partners-with-israel-to-develop-local-loitering-munitions-industry
[22] Operating From The Shadows: Morocco’s UAV Fleet https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2021/10/operating-from-shadows-moroccos-uav.html
[23] Guardians Of The Steppe - Kazakhstan’s UAVs https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2022/01/guardians-of-steppe-kazakhstans-uavs.html
[24] Elbit Signs Deal to Manufacture UAVs in Kazakhstan https://www.israeldefense.co.il/en/node/39753
[25] Turkish Drones Join Ethiopia’s war, Satellite Imagery Confirms https://paxforpeace.nl/news/blogs/turkish-drones-join-ethiopias-war-satellite-imagery-confirms
[26] From Mohajer-6s To Wing Loong Is - Listing Ethiopia’s Growing Drone Arsenal https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2021/10/from-mohajer-6s-to-wing-loong-is.html
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