Bangladesh reportedly in talks to acquire Turkish Otokar’s Tulpar light tanks

Bangladesh is reportedly negotiating with Turkish defense firm Otokar Otomotiv ve Savunma Sanayi A.S. (Otokar) for the purchase of 26 Tulpar light tanks to bolster its armored capabilities.

Deliveries are expected to begin in 2025, signaling a significant step in Bangladesh‘s ongoing military modernization strategy.

Türkiye’s expanding defense exports

Türkiye has become a significant player in global defense exports, particularly in South Asia. Alongside its engagements with Bangladesh, Türkiye has strengthened defense ties with Pakistan, providing equipment such as MILGEM corvettes, drones, and support for submarine upgrades, creating criticism from India.

Bangladesh’s potential acquirement comes up in India’s weekly media briefing with journalists too. Journalist Srinjoy Chowdhury, who’s working for Times Now, asked during a weekly media briefing, “Sir, this relates to Bangladesh. At this point, they are in discussions with a Turkish firm called Otokar to buy 26 light tanks for their army.

Now considering the situation over the last three months and also the fact that the geography of Bangladesh, being what it is, on its north, west, and east, there is only India and the south is the Bay of Bengal. So these tanks are being purchased at this point. Now, does India see this purchase as a message? And if it is a message, what can India say about it?”

Randhir Jaiswal, India’s Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson, answered the question by saying, “Srinjoy, on your question, the Foreign Secretary had visited Bangladesh, and after the visit, we had come out with an understanding through a press release where we mentioned that India supports a democratic, stable, peaceful, progressive, and inclusive Bangladesh, and we also reiterated our willingness to build a positive and constructive relationship with Bangladesh-based on mutual trust, respect, and mutual sensitivity to each other’s concerns and interests.

So, this has been our approach to Bangladesh, and this will be our approach to the question that you asked, and as far as the security issues that you raised, as you know, we closely follow all developments in our neighborhood and take appropriate measures and actions.”

Otokar’s Tulpar light tank with Leonardo’s HITFACT II turret

Turkish defense manufacturer Otokar and Italian defense firm Leonardo unveiled a collaborative light tank solution at the World Defense Show (WDS) 2024 in Riyadh.

Initially introduced at IDEF 2015 in Istanbul, the Tulpar infantry fighting vehicle was designed to meet the evolving needs of the Turkish Land Forces. Built as a modular platform, the Tulpar can be adapted into multiple variants with a gross vehicle weight (GVW) ranging from 30 to 45 tonnes.

Leonardo’s HITFACT II turret, originally developed for the Centauro II wheeled platform and currently in service with the Italian and Brazilian armies, brings significant firepower to the Tulpar light tank. The turret can be armed with either a 105 mm or 120 mm smoothbore main gun and features a coaxial machine gun.

An optional remotely controlled weapon station (RCWS) or a pintle-mounted machine gun can also be added. The turret supports both semi-autoloader and manual loading configurations, offering flexibility based on operational requirements.