ABOUT US

Selçuk Bayraktar, the architect of Türkiye’s first indigenous UAV/UCAV systems—including Bayraktar TB3, the  world’s first UCAV capable of takeoff and landing on short-runway vessels, and Bayraktar KIZILELMA, Türkiye’s first  indigenous unmanned fighter aircraft—was born in 1979 in Sarıyer, Istanbul.

Having graduated from the prestigious Robert College in 1997, Bayraktar received his bachelor’s degree in  Electronics and Communication Engineering from Istanbul Technical University in 2002. He proceeded to earn his  first master’s degree from UPenn’s Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering in 2004 and conducted  groundbreaking research on UAV formation flights and robot coordination. Bayraktar subsequently worked on  automatic flight control algorithms for unmanned helicopter systems during his graduate and doctoral studies at MIT,  where he received his second master’s degree in 2006. He returned to Türkiye the following year to resume Baykar’s  efforts to develop unmanned aerial vehicle technologies.

Selçuk Bayraktar has been serving as Baykar’s Chief Technology Officer since 2007 and Chairman of the Board since 2021. His work at the company focuses on the avionics architecture of indigenous UAV systems, the  development of flight control and cruise algorithms, system kinematics and dynamics, and electronic equipment and  embedded software.

At Baykar, Selçuk Bayraktar led the team that developed the Bayraktar Mini UAV, Türkiye’s first indigenous drone  which has been serving the Turkish military since 2014, and the Bayraktar TB2 (armed) UAV, which experts have  described as the world’s best drone in its class. Having operated for more than one million flight hours to date, the  Bayraktar TB2 has been exported to 34 countries as of April 2025. Bayraktar also developed the Bayraktar AKINCI  UCAV, Türkiye’s first combat drone with a maximum takeoff weight of six tons, delivered it to the Turkish Armed  Forces in 2021. The aircraft, which accumulated 100,000 flight hours to date, has been exported to 11 countries as  of April 2025.

Selçuk Bayraktar currently leads the development projects of the Bayraktar TB3 UCAV, which became the world’s  first UCAV to take off and land on a short-runway vessel (19 Nov. 2024 – TCG Anadolu), and Bayraktar KIZILELMA,  Türkiye’s first unmanned fighter aircraft. KIZILELMA conducted its maiden flight on December 14, 2022, ahead of  the public deadline of 2023. Under the leadership of Selçuk Bayraktar, the development process achieved a historic  milestone in world aviation by executing the first-ever formation flights with unmanned combat aircraft. The AKINCI  UCAV and the KIZILELMA Unmanned Fighter Jet, both combat aircraft, successfully performed close formation  flights multiple times—an unprecedented achievement in the history of aviation.

Selçuk Bayraktar also focuses on space with his technology venture, Fergani Space Technologies, where he  oversees the development of low-orbit satellite clusters and orbital transfer vehicles.

In response to the Coronavirus pandemic, Bayraktar led Türkiye’s efforts to build indigenous intensive care ventilators  – which were ultimately co-produced by BIOSYS, BAYKAR, ASELSAN and ARÇELIK, and exported or donated to  many countries around the world. He also continues his work with the CANSAGLIGI Foundation, which he founded  and where he serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees, to support scientific projects on genetics, immunology  and rare diseases.

Additionally, he serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees at the Culture and Heritage Foundation, which he  established to promote the holistic analysis of the history of human civilization and the development of solutions to  contemporary social issues with the help of ancient values.

Selçuk Bayraktar was awarded the Order of Karabakh by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on 1 April 2021 for the  Bayraktar TB2’s contributions to the liberation of Karabakh. He also received the Ukrainian State Order of Merit in  2022 on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s orders.

Selçuk Bayraktar was awarded the Order of Karabakh by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on 1 April 2021 for the  Bayraktar TB2’s contributions to the liberation of Karabakh. He also received the Ukrainian State Order of Merit in  2022 on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s orders.

Having received the Medal of Military Cooperation from Azerbaijani Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov on 4 April 2023,  Bayraktar was awarded the Azerbaijani Medal of Service to Citizens and Social Innovations Agency (ASAN Hizmet),  which recognizes individuals for their contributions to the country, on 2 October 2023 per the Azerbaijani Presidency’s  decision.

On 18 October 2023, Selçuk Bayraktar received the National Order of Mali, the country’s highest honor, for his  contributions and service to Mali by President Assimi Goita.

On February 28, 2024, he was awarded the "1st Degree Order of the National Security and Defense Council of  Ukraine" by the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine for his significant contributions to Ukraine's national  security and defense, and for enhancing its defense capabilities under martial law.

On October 9, 2024, he was honored with the ‘Kyrgyzstan Dank State Order’ by Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov for  his contributions to the country’s defense capacity and military potential.

The T3 Foundation, where Bayraktar serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees, supports talented young people  with the potential to develop indigenous and original technology and holds training sessions. Spearheading the  National Technology Initiative, the T3 Foundation hosts TEKNOFEST, the world’s largest aerospace and technology  event. TEKNOFEST took place in Azerbaijan in 2022 – a reflection of its growing impact beyond Türkiye’s borders.

Selçuk Bayraktar married Sümeyye Erdoğan Bayraktar in 2016. The couple has two children. Selçuk holds a private  pilot license.