Secret Kenya-Turkey Drone Deal Linked to Deportation of 4 Gulen Movement Members
A fresh controversy has emerged over a secretive military deal between Kenya and Turkey, months before the controversial deportation of four Turkish citizens, an action that drew sharp criticism from the United Nations and various human rights organizations.
According to the Stockholm Center for Freedom, the Kenyan government was reportedly influenced by a deal that involved the purchase of TB2 armed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from the Turkish defense company Baykar.
The company, known for producing advanced drones, has close ties to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s family, with his son-in-law at the helm. The drones, equipped for both reconnaissance and combat missions, were delivered in August 2024 under a confidential agreement.
While the exact number of drones purchased remains undisclosed, TurDef, a Turkish military news outlet, confirmed the Kenyan government had sent personnel to the Baykar Flight Training Centre for specialized training.
The deal was said to be deeply intertwined with the repatriation of four Turkish nationals, who were quietly deported back to Turkey despite international outcry.
“It is not known how many TB2s and ground control stations Kenya has purchased. Trainees from Kenya graduated by completing BayraktarTB2 Armed UAV training at Baykar Flight Training Centre,” TurDef reported.
Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary, Kipkorir Sing’oei, remained tight-lipped about the fate of the four deportees, stressing that the government would not engage in public discussions regarding their identity or the nature of their repatriation.
“Kenya is committed to the privacy and confidentiality of the repatriated individuals and will refrain from responding to media inquiries on the subject until the ongoing inter-agency review of the case is complete,” Sing’oei stated.
Reports suggest that Turkish President Erdoğan has been offering drones to various countries at highly favorable terms, often in exchange for the deportation of individuals linked to the faith-based Gülen movement. The four individuals deported from Kenya, Mustafa Genç, Hüseyin Yeşilsu, Öztürk Uzun, and Alparslan Taşçı, are all believed to have ties to this movement.
This incident mirrors the case of Selahattin Gülen, a Turkish teacher forcibly repatriated from Kenya in May 2021, and Harun Aydin, a businessman deported in 2022 over alleged links to terrorism.
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Secret Kenya-Turkey Drone Deal Linked to Deportation of 4 Gulen Movement Members
