PKK drones used Canadian technology, report says
The wreckage of a PKK drone the terrorist group tried to use to mount an attack lies on the ground after Turkish security forces downed it in northern Iraq, May 11, 2021. (AA Photo)


Drones used by PKK terrorists to attack Turkish military facilities were made using Canadian technology, according to security sources.

A part of the technology, which was used to make the unit invisible to radar, was allegedly purchased from Canada, Hürriyet daily reported Thursday, citing security sources.

The technology used in drones and model planes used by the PKK had complicated multi-frequency features, which make it difficult for anti-drone systems and jammers to spot, especially at night time.

The details were revealed after Turkish defense industry firms, including Aselsan, carried out work on the drones, the report said, adding that they immediately deactivated the aforementioned frequencies.

Canadian officials have not made a comment about the issue.

Canada recently imposed restrictions on the sale of the L3Harris Wescam camera systems for Baykar armed drones, which played a key role in Azerbaijan’s victory against the Armenian occupation in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Export licenses were suspended in 2019 during Turkish military activities in Syria. Restrictions were then eased but reimposed during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The PKK terrorists recently increased their attacks on Turkish military facilities using drones made to look like model planes. On May 11, they attempted to target Turkish soldiers in northern Iraq's Metina region, while on Tuesday they used two model planes to attack the 8th Main Jet Base Command in Diyarbakır province.

Turkey has carried out numerous cross-border operations in northern Iraq over the years to fight the PKK, which maintains bases in the region.

In its more than 40-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union – has been responsible for the deaths of at least 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.