An unidentified unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crashed in northwestern Balıkesir province on Friday, marking the third such incident in Türkiye within a week linked to regional tensions.
Local residents heard a signal sound from a field in the evening and discovered the drone with its parachute deployed.
They promptly notified the authorities, prompting the dispatch of bomb disposal, crime scene investigation and canine search teams to the site.
Teams searched the UAV for explosives. After initial examination revealed no writings, flags or emblems on the device, it was transported to Ankara for detailed analysis, according to reports.
The incident follows a similar UAV crash in Kocaeli province on Dec. 19, where authorities identified the drone as a Russian-made Orlan-10 used for reconnaissance and surveillance, based on preliminary findings from the Interior Ministry.
An investigation is underway into the Kocaeli crash, with media noting the device was damaged upon impact.
The events come after Turkish forces shot down an out-of-control drone approaching airspace over the Black Sea on Monday.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has warned against the Black Sea becoming a zone of confrontation between Russia and Ukraine, amid recent strikes affecting shipping in the region, including damage to a Turkish-operated vessel in Ukraine's Odesa area last week.
