Özdemir BAYRAKTAR (1949-2021)

The pioneer name of National SİHAs, entrepreneur, senior engineer and industrialist Özdemir Bayraktar...

He dedicated his life, health and existence to our National SİHAs by living the last 20 years of his life in the workplace for the full independence of our country, both in the field and at the computer bench...

Özdemir Bayraktar, who was born in Garipçe village of Sarıyer in 1949 as the son of Balıkçı Lütfi Reis, who was originally from Sürmene, Trabzon, graduated from Kabataş Erkek High School.

Özdemir Bayraktar, who entered the Mechanical Engineering Department of Istanbul Technical University in 1967, graduated in 1972 after a successful education period. After his graduation, he worked as a research assistant for İTÜ Engines Department Professor İsmail Hakkı Öz for 2 years and completed his master's degree in internal combustion engines.

He worked in technical manager positions in the establishment and new investments stages of many factories that played a leading role in Turkey's industrial sector (Burdur Tractor, İstanbul Segman, Uzel etc.).
He married Canan Bayraktar, who graduated from Istanbul University Faculty of Economics and worked as a computer programmer at the Turkish Industrial Development Bank. Özdemir and Canan Bayraktar had 3 children from this marriage, Haluk, Selçuk and Ahmet.

He took part in the establishment of Baykar Makina in 1984 in order to contribute to the localization efforts for the automotive sector. He managed the design and manufacturing of many original machines and part processing apparatus design processes for the precision machining sector at Baykar, which he founded with a single drilling machine.

Özdemir Bayraktar, who took a leading role in Baykar's national and original Unmanned Aerial Vehicle technology development initiative, actively and as a leader in every stage of the implementation of these projects, from the design stage to the prototype stage, from the manufacturing stage to the investment planning.

He led the studies carried out with soldiers in the Southeastern Anatolia region between 2005-2009, when the Bayraktar Mini UAV R&D studies, the first unmanned aerial vehicle developed by Baykar for the Turkish Armed Forces, were carried out.

Özdemir Bayraktar, who designed all the products developed nationally and originally by Baykar, is also the owner of the original designs that give the Bayraktar TB2 and Bayraktar AKINCI TİHA their character. He has always blended his engineering talent with current technologies throughout his life. His determination, determination, faith and enthusiasm for development have never disappeared in his working life.

Özdemir Bayraktar was awarded the Karabakh Order by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in 2021 for the contribution of Bayraktar TB2 SİHAs, developed nationally and originally by Baykar, to the liberation of Karabakh from the Armenian occupation.

Özdemir Bayraktar, who has a private pilot certificate due to his interest in aviation, is known as the pioneer name of Turkey's unmanned aerial vehicle adventure.

Özdemir Bayraktar, one of the architects of the National Technology Move ideal, has worked meticulously with the understanding that quality is in the details in all the projects he has carried out, without making the slightest compromise on the values ​​he deserves throughout his life.