Strengthening Defence Cooperation with the Republic of Türkiye: Training, Donations and Support for BiH Sovereignty

Deputy Chair of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Defence of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zukan Helez, on 12 April 2025, is in Antalya where, at the 4th Diplomatic Forum, he held a bilateral meeting with the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Türkiye, Yaşar Güler.

Minister Helez expressed particular satisfaction at having once again the opportunity for extremely important talks in, as he emphasised, "friendly and brotherly Türkiye."
„The meeting with Minister Güler is yet another strong confirmation of what we have been building over the previous months: strong support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the strengthening of the defence and security system," Helez pointed out.



Turkish support for Bosnia and Herzegovina is reflected in numerous concrete projects. To date, over 6,000 cadets, soldiers, non-commissioned officers and officers from BiH have been trained in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Türkiye. In the past year, an ambitious training programme for 60 BiH Armed Forces pilots over the next ten years has also been launched, which is an exceptional result even for much larger armed forces.

Alongside this, Minister Helez took the opportunity to express gratitude to Minister Güler, and to request that special thanks be conveyed to the President of the Republic of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, for the recent confirmation and letter approving the donation of two TB2 Bayraktar drones.

He also thanked for the donation of a smaller unmanned aerial vehicle within the NATO programme for strengthening the defence and security system of Bosnia and Herzegovina (DCB). The donation includes complete training for pilots and technical personnel who will operate and maintain these systems.

Helez also emphasised that the signed donation agreement for four state-of-the-art KIRPI II armoured vehicles, as part of a planned procurement of 32 in total, is in its final phase, and the vehicles, after customs procedures, are expected in the BiH Armed Forces.
In addition, a donation of an anti-drone system has been secured, as a response to the increasingly present threat of surveillance of military locations, which was taken seriously in the past year.

A significant step forward is also the donation of a UH-1H helicopter for the needs of the BiH Armed Forces Air Force, whose delivery is expected in autumn 2025. A training programme for eight pilots on Bell platform simulators has also been agreed, which will achieve significant savings in the operation of actual helicopters.

Minister Helez stressed that this level of friendly and strategic cooperation is extremely important not only for the Armed Forces, but also for Bosnia and Herzegovina as a whole, and that the BiH Armed Forces have always stood by the citizens when most needed, and the support of the Republic of Türkiye further strengthens our readiness and capacities, Helez concluded.

During his visit, Helez also reacted to the news about a diplomatic note sent by the Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye to BiH institutions regarding the play "Six Against Türkiye," scheduled at the National Theatre Sarajevo, with the claim that it contains propaganda in favour of the FETO organisation.

„At a time when secessionist policies within BiH are attacking its constitutional order, the strong and open support of the Republic of Türkiye represents a key pillar of security. I call on all those active in the public space to take into account the broader context and international reputation of BiH, and not to jeopardise relations with friendly countries such as Türkiye," Minister Helez stated.

Finally, the minister once again expressed gratitude to the Republic of Türkiye for the partnership and continuous support in strengthening the security and defence system of Bosnia and Herzegovina at a crucial moment for BiH.