Türkiye eyes place among top 10 defense, aerospace exporters, officials say at SAHA 2026

Türkiye aims to become one of the world’s top 10 defense and aerospace exporters as it expands production capacity, deepens global partnerships and reduces foreign dependency in critical technologies, senior officials said Tuesday at the opening of SAHA 2026.

The SAHA 2026 International Defence and Aerospace Exhibition opened at the Istanbul Expo Center under the organization of SAHA Istanbul, Türkiye’s and Europe’s largest defense, aerospace and space industry cluster. Anadolu serves as the global communication partner of the fair.

The opening ceremony was attended by National Defense Minister Yasar Guler, Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacir, Turkish Defense Industries Secretary Haluk Gorgun, SAHA Istanbul Chairman Haluk Bayraktar, Baykar Chairman Selcuk Bayraktar and senior representatives from several countries.

Gorgun said Türkiye exported $10.5 billion worth of defense and aerospace products to 185 countries over the past 12 months.

“We aim to soon exceed $11 billion and move Türkiye into the world’s top 10 countries in defense and aerospace exports,” he said.

“Türkiye’s approach on this issue is clear. We place our strength at the service of stability, not chaos. We see our technology not as a tool of tension, but as a guarantee of peace and security,” he added.

He said Türkiye will eliminate foreign dependency in critical technologies, expand exports sustainably and strengthen cooperation among the public sector, industry and academia.

Gorgun added that SAHA 2026 is not merely an exhibition but a multidimensional platform bringing together main contractors, small and medium enterprises, startups, investors, public institutions, foreign delegations and technology developers.

– Türkiye becomes Europe’s ‘solution partner’

Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacir said Türkiye has become a key partner for Europe as the continent seeks to strengthen its defense capacity.

“Europe, which is 80% dependent on foreign sources for defense products and is moving to reinforce its defense capacity against security threats, needs Türkiye as its solution partner,” Kacir said.

He said Türkiye’s defense sector has a broad, high-tech and cost-effective product portfolio whose game-changing role has been proven in the field.

“Our sector is in a position to provide the solutions needed by the European defense ecosystem,” he said.

Kacir said Türkiye has prepared an Industrial Areas Master Plan to guide the next 30 years of Turkish industry and expand planned industrial areas from 160,000 hectares (1.6 billion square meters) to 350,000 hectares (3.5 billion square meters).

“With the new industrial areas we have designed as mega industrial zones, we will spread our defense industry production across a wider geography and create new defense industry clusters in Anatolia,” he said.

– Global defense trends reshape industry

SAHA Istanbul Chairman Haluk Bayraktar said SAHA 2026 is more than a fair, calling it a meeting point for “minds that will dominate technology.”

Bayraktar said more than 263 leading international companies from over 120 countries will attend the fair, which spans more than 400,000 square meters (4.3 million square feet).

He said trade wars, protectionism, technological sovereignty struggles, energy volatility and disruptions in critical routes such as the Strait of Hormuz have exposed the fragility of industrial supply chains.

Bayraktar said drones have moved to the center of conventional warfare, while global defense spending has reached a historic high of $2.9 trillion.

He said Türkiye’s localization rate in defense has risen from around 20% in the early 2000s to 83%, adding that the country’s 2026 export target is $13 billion.

Bayraktar said SAHA 2026 is expected to host more than 1,700 companies and over 150,000 visitors, with nearly 200 signing ceremonies and more than 30,000 business meetings planned.

The fair will remain open to visitors until May 9.