Are Turkish drones complicating disputes in Central Asia?
Kyrgyzstan’s use of Turkish drones in a border dispute with Tajikistan leaves Turkey in a tight spot on how to balance its ties in Central Asia, a region where it has long sought to expand its influence.
Turkey’s efforts to add strategic depth to its ties with Central Asia appear to have hit a stumbling block, albeit not a big one, amid controversy over Kyrgyzstan’s use of Turkish combat drones in border clashes with Tajikistan.
The Bayraktar TB2 drones that Kyrgyzstan acquired last year are seen as a game-changer in ongoing clashes with Tajikistan over disputed border areas, which have claimed nearly 100 lives since mid-September.
