Türkiye and Kazakhstan have agreed to establish a joint venture for the production and maintenance of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to enhance defense industry cooperation. The agreement was signed on May 14, 2026, during the Türkiye-Kazakhstan Business Forum held in Astana.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Kazakh counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev oversaw the signing of 13 agreements covering investment, energy, defense, education, media and infrastructure. Among these, the UAV agreement encompasses the production and maintenance of the ANKA unmanned aerial vehicle developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries. Kazakhstan has been operating several ANKA platforms under a contract signed in late 2021, with deliveries completed by 2023.

Erdoğan emphasized that Türkiye and Kazakhstan maintain strong cooperation in the defense sector and reaffirmed their commitment to deepening ties through new joint production initiatives. Türkiye ranks among the world's leading manufacturers and exporters of unmanned aerial vehicles. The country's platforms have been utilized in Ukraine's operations against Russian forces, as well as in campaigns in Azerbaijan and North Africa.