The Tajik parliament has ratified a defense cooperation agreement with Turkey covering the provision of security assistance to the Central Asian country.
Tajikistan and Turkey originally inked the military cooperation agreement at IDEF23, held in Turkey in July 2023. Turkish media described the deal at the time as a “military financial cooperation agreement and a cash aid implementation protocol.”
Ankara will provide up to TRY50 million ($1.5 million) over a five-year period to support Tajikistan’s purchase of Turkish military products, Tajik Defense Minister Sherali Mirzo told lawmakers. “The allocated funds may be used for the purchase of goods and payment for services of Turkish companies within the framework of the bilateral military and technical cooperation,” he said.
Another TRY2 million will go towards the training of Tajik military personnel.
Mirzo did not confirm what Tajikistan intends to purchase from the Turkish industry, but press reports of his comments to parliament said that he referred to it purchasing “weapons, ammunition, UAVs and modern devices.”
Numerous reports emerged in April 2022 that Tajikistan was in negotiations with Turkey to purchase the Bayraktar TB2 unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV). Neighbor Kyrgyzstan, itself a customer for the TB2 and other Turkish-made UCAVs, opposed the deal, pushing for Ankara to cancel talks with the Tajik government.
Military markets analyst, covering Eurasia, Middle East, and Africa.
