Greece’s defense minister, Nikos Dendias, has claimed that Turkey currently operates over one million drones, citing intelligence assessments during a televised interview.
He described the figure as “impressive,” noting that Ankara has become a “drone manufacturing powerhouse,” producing about 60% of global drone exports, according to an investigation by journalist M. Vassilios.
Dendias linked Turkey’s surge in drone production to recent regional conflicts, emphasizing the decisive role of Bayraktar TB2 systems in the Nagorno-Karabakh war.
As a direct response, Athens unveiled a new anti-drone defense system, named Kentavros (Centaur), which Dendias described as “the best system in the world against Bayraktar-class drones.” The system, he said, was developed both for national defense and export, targeting markets that compete with Turkish-made systems.