According to the information compiled by the AA correspondent, entrepreneur, graduate engineer and industrialist Özdemir Bayraktar, who passed away on October 18, 2021, spent the last 20 years at work and enabled the realization of the national SİHA idea, which is one of the most important steps towards the full independence of the Turkish defense industry.
Born in Garipçe village of Sarıyer, Özdemir Bayraktar graduated from Kabataş Boys' High School.
Özdemir Bayraktar, who entered the Mechanical Engineering Department of Istanbul Technical University in 1967, graduated in 1972 after a successful education period. After his graduation, he worked as a research assistant to ITU Engines Department Professor İsmail Hakkı Öz for 2 years and completed his master's degree on internal combustion engines.
He served as technical manager during the establishment and new investments of many factories that played a leading role in Türkiye's industrial sector (Burdur Traktör, İstanbul Segman, Uzel and similar).
He got married to Canan Bayraktar, who graduated from Istanbul University Faculty of Economics and worked as a computer programmer at the Turkish Industrial Development Bank. Özdemir and Canan Bayraktar couple had three children named Haluk, Selçuk and Ahmet from this marriage.
In 1984, he took part in the establishment of Baykar Makina in order to contribute to localization efforts for the automotive industry. At Baykar, which he founded with a single drill machine, he managed many original machine designs and manufacturing and parts processing apparatus design processes for the precision machining industry.
Özdemir Bayraktar, who played a leading role in the development of Baykar's national and unique unmanned aerial vehicle technologies, took an active and leading role in the implementation of these projects at every stage, from the design stage to the prototype stage, from the manufacturing stage to the investment planning.
He led the studies carried out together with the soldiers in the Southeastern Anatolia Region between 2005 and 2009, when the R&D studies of the Bayraktar Mini UAV, the first unmanned aerial vehicle developed by Baykar for the Turkish Armed Forces, were carried out.
It has its signature on national and original UAVs
Özdemir Bayraktar, who draws the designs of all products developed nationally and uniquely by Baykar, is also the owner of the original designs that give character to Bayraktar TB2 and Bayraktar AKINCI TİHA. He always blended the engineering talent he had throughout his life with current technologies. His perseverance, determination, belief and enthusiasm for development never disappeared in his working life.
Özdemir Bayraktar was awarded the Karabakh Order by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in 2021, due to the contribution of the Bayraktar TB2 UCAVs, developed nationally and uniquely by Baykar, to the liberation of Karabakh from the Armenian occupation.
Due to all these works, Bayraktar is known as the pioneer name of Turkey's unmanned aerial vehicles adventure.
The ideal sprouted, crossed the borders
After the death of Bayraktar, the pioneer of the National Technology Move ideal, a series of projects were implemented by various institutions and organizations, especially Baykar and T3 Foundation, in order to keep his memory alive and to continue the efforts he carried out throughout his life with permanent works and events.
Baykar, of which Özdemir Bayraktar is the founder and honorary president, continues its technology production uninterruptedly with the goal of "Strong Türkiye" at the Özdemir Bayraktar National Technology Center, named after its founder.
Baykar, whose foundations were laid by Bayraktar, has become the world's largest exporter of unmanned aerial vehicles. With the contributions of Baykar, which has obtained more than 90 percent of its revenues from exports in recent years, Türkiye has reached a 65 percent share in the world UAV market.
Baykar, which has maintained its leadership in the world UAV market in the last 3 years, renewed its record with an export volume of 2.2 billion dollars in 2025. Baykar became the locomotive of Turkey's high technology exports.
Baykar has signed export agreements with 36 countries for the Bayraktar TB2 SİHA and with 16 countries for the AKINCI TİHA, a total of 39 countries so far.
His legacy has been transformed into permanent works and projects
After Özdemir Bayraktar's death, his legacy continues to be kept alive with the schools, workshops and science centers named after him.
Bayraktar unmanned aerial vehicles and systems are produced in the 200 thousand square meter facility at Baykar Özdemir Bayraktar National Technology Center.
Özdemir Bayraktar Aviation and Space Technologies Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School was established as Türkiye's first vocational high school in the field of aviation and space technologies.
Özdemir Bayraktar Science Centers, which were implemented in different parts of Trabzon, Samsun and Istanbul, were designed as a "Children's University" in order to bring science and technology together with students. Students receive training that supports their development through DENEYAP workshops in these science centers.
With the support of Baykar and Bayraktar Azerbaijan Technology, Özdemir Bayraktar Mosque was built at the TÜBİTAK MAM campus in Gebze district of Kocaeli and within the 3rd Army Command in Erzincan.
ITU Özdemir Bayraktar Design and Prototyping Center was established in cooperation with Istanbul Technical University 1773 Teknopark and Baykar.
Samsun University Özdemir Bayraktar Faculty of Aviation and Astronautics operates on an area of more than 6 thousand square meters with research and training laboratories, aircraft maintenance and repair hangars and a flight school.
Özdemir Bayraktar UAV Workshop was implemented by Baykar at Kabataş Boys' High School.
Let a Child Come and Touch a Plane Travel Program allows young people to meet with technology within the scope of TEKNOFEST organized with the support of Baykar. At the festival, hundreds of thousands of students attended TEKNOFEST events with the "Let a Child Come and Touch a Plane" travel program in memory of Özdemir Bayraktar.
Özdemir Bayraktar Award Ceremony, organized by Baykar, continues as a corporate event where outstanding personnel are rewarded within the scope of the company's work carried out throughout the year and the results achieved.
Baykar has implemented the Özdemir Bayraktar National Technology Scholarship Program through the T3 Foundation, starting from 2022. Within the scope of the scholarship program, scholarship support is provided to secondary school, high school, undergraduate, master's and doctoral students who have the vision of the National Technology Move and are willing to contribute to the development of Türkiye's domestic and national technology. Thousands of students were supported within the scope of the program.
In addition to these works, Özdemir Bayraktar's name is kept alive in education and science themed projects implemented by different organizations in many parts of the country.
