Erdogan: Turkey’s defense industry is now a trusted ecosystem worldwide

AA / Istanbul / Mucahithan Avcioglu

President of the Republic of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that the defense industry of Turkiye has become a reliable and preferred ecosystem, attracting high demand not only in its region but throughout the world.

The Turkish Head of State spoke at the SAHA EXPO 2026 International Defense and Aerospace Exhibition in Istanbul.

On this occasion, Erdogan affirmed that Turkiye has “proudly registered its name” among the countries whose star shines globally in defense, aviation and space technology.

“Behind this image of success are undoubtedly decades of effort, the dedication of over 100,000 children of this nation who work day and night with dedicated spirit, the support of our people and the will of our state,” he said. declared.

Erdogan said that the event, organized for the fifth time this year, was crowned with new records, agreements and cooperation.

A total of 1,763 companies, including 1,500 domestic firms, participated, while 203 products with new features were unveiled for the first time, he added.

He added that 192 official delegations and 108 procurement delegations had the opportunity to establish direct contact with the sector.

“With 182 agreements signed at the fair, a total business volume of $8 billion was achieved,” Erdogan said, adding that $6 billion of that total was export-oriented deals.

“When we look at the whole situation, what we see exactly is this: the Turkish defense industry has become a demanded, trusted, closely followed and preferred ecosystem not only in its region but also in the entire world,” he said. declared.

The president also indicated that Turkey’s defense and aviation exports also maintained their strong momentum this year.

“There has been a 28% increase in the first four months of 2026 compared to the same period last year. We achieved $2.871 billion in exports in the first four months,” he said.

Erdogan also praised the SAHA Istanbul exhibition, describing it as the largest European defense and aviation cluster with more than 1,300 member companies and the active participation of 30 universities.

“We will continue to work tirelessly until we achieve the goal of a fully independent Türkiye in the defense industry,” he assured.

Turkish companies are showcasing their latest and most advanced products at the five-day SAHA 2026 at the Istanbul Expo Center, which concludes on Saturday.

The event is organized by the largest defense, aviation and space industrial cluster in Türkiye and Europe, with Anadolu serving as its global communications partner.

* Traduit par Tuncay Çakmak