Drone numbers rise 12 percent to reach 88,000: Minister
ANKARA
Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu has announced that as of the end of September 2025, the number of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs/drones) in the country increased by 11.86 percent compared to the same period last year, reaching 88,138.
The number of licensed drone pilots also rose by 4.19 percent, totaling 163 million, according to the minister.
Uraloğlu recalled that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had established a dedicated registration system for UAVs under the “UAV Systems Directive,” which has significantly streamlined the processes of authorization, flight, and registration.
He noted that approximately 9,000 new drones are registered in the system each year.
Highlighting the growing role of drones across multiple industries, Uraloğlu emphasized their increasing use in agriculture (such as crop spraying), photography, cinema, mapping, traffic monitoring, security, cargo delivery and health care.
