Global success in exporting domestically built drones has propelled top executives of Türkiye's defense and tech giant Baykar onto the top of the list of highest individual taxpayers in the country for the fifth consecutive year.

The Turkish Revenue Administration (GIB) announced on Thursday its list of the 100 taxpayers who declared the highest amounts of tax nationwide, following its assessment of annual income and corporate tax returns for the 2025 tax year.

Accordingly, Selçuk Bayraktar, the chairperson of Baykar's board of directors, and Haluk Bayraktar, Baykar’s CEO, were Türkiye’s highest individual income-tax payers for five consecutive years from 2021 through 2025.

For the 2025 tax year, Selçuk Bayraktar declared TL 2.99 billion ($63 million) in income tax, while Haluk Bayraktar declared TL 2.5 billion. Together, the two executives paid around TL 5.5 billion in income tax.

The taxes were paid following corporate income tax and withholding tax on profit distributions calculated on Baykar’s earnings from the previous year. The roughly 18-fold increase in the amount of tax paid by Baykar’s executives since 2021 was driven largely by the company’s export-focused growth model.

Since its establishment, Baykar has carried out all of its projects using its own resources and continues to operate without receiving cash incentives, grants, or purchase guarantees from the government. The company also says that, from its establishment to the present, it has financed its R&D and production processes by reinvesting its earnings, without even using bank loans.

Looking toward new areas of advanced technology, including space technologies, the company has generated approximately 90% of its total revenue from exports since beginning its R&D activities in 2003.

New export record of $2.2 billion

Baykar, which has been the leading exporter in Türkiye’s defense and aerospace sector for the past five years, has signed supply agreements with 39 countries in total, 36 countries for the Bayraktar TB2 drones and 16 countries for its Bayraktar Akıncı.

The company increased its exports from $664 million in 2021 to $1.2 billion in 2022, and then to $1.8 billion in both 2023 and 2024. In 2025, exports reached a new record of $2.2 billion.

With 90% of its revenue coming from exports, Baykar remained among the top 10 companies in Türkiye across all sectors by export volume for the third consecutive year, while further strengthening its leadership in the global armed-drone market.

Continuing to invest in highly skilled, technology-focused personnel, the company employs more than 8,500 people through its domestic and international subsidiaries.

Top 10 list

Rahmi Koç, honorary chair of Koç Holding, ranked third on the list of taxpayers declaring the income tax of nearly TL 831 million in 2025.

Mehmet Sinan Tara ranked fourth, with TL 676.3 million.

The individuals ranked fifth, sixth, and eighth on the list did not wish to have their names disclosed.

Erman Ilıcak ranked seventh with TL 557.7 million, Mehmet Cengiz ranked ninth with TL 448.7 million and Ceyda Lale Tara ranked 10th with TL 430.3 million.

Among the 100 taxpayers with the highest assessed income taxes, Istanbul ranked first with 78 individuals. It was followed by Ankara and Izmir.

A total of 78 taxpayers on the list chose not to have their names disclosed.