Highways in Türkiye are turning into UAV and UCAV runways: 52 locations designated

Türkiye’s Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said work is continuing to use stretches of highway as runways for drones and armed drones during disasters and emergencies, with 52 potential road sections identified nationwide. The first application took place on the Balıkesir-Manisa highway, where Baykar’s AKINCI and Bayraktar TB2 successfully completed takeoffs and landings. The initiative matters because it gives Turkey’s growing drone fleet backup operating surfaces if airbases are damaged or inaccessible after earthquakes or other emergencies. Watch for further pilot sites among the 52 designated sections and for technical standards on road preparation and certification.