Iraq turns to Türkiye for air defence as drone, missile risks surge in region

Iraq has made significant changes to its defence strategy amid heightened missile and drone activity across the region, with Baghdad in the final stage of negotiations to purchase 20 Turkish air defence systems to protect oil fields and diplomatic missions.

Speaking at the SAHA Expo in Istanbul, Iraq’s Deputy Army Chief of Staff for Operations Saad Harbiye said Iraq’s airspace was “flooded” with drones. He stressed that the new systems would play a vital role in countering those threats, as per Turkish media.

By selecting products from Türkiye’s defence industry to secure its airspace, Baghdad is seeking to benefit from a combination of lower costs and advanced technology. Harbiye described the quality of Turkish systems as “first-class,” adding that good-neighbourly relations between the two countries also influenced the decision.

Financial details of the deal have not been disclosed, though the technologies are known to be supplied by state-owned defence enterprises. In recent years, Türkiye’s defence industry has become a key pillar of the country’s foreign policy through developments in air defence systems, drones, and missile technologies.

By Jeyhun Aghazada