Organized by the Istanbul Defense and Aerospace Cluster Association (SAHA), Türkiye’s premier defense and aerospace event, SAHA EXPO, began on Tuesday at the Istanbul Expo Center. The event runs from October 22 to 26.
The five-day event showcases cutting-edge defense technologies from Türkiye and 120 foreign nations, with 1,478 companies participating. This includes 178 foreign procurement delegates and 312 officials, among them 25 government ministers.
The expo is expected to generate more than $2 billion in contracts and agreements, with over 200 signing ceremonies and the unveiling of 300 new products.
This year’s event introduces new cybersecurity and artificial intelligence pavilions and features public participation days to enhance accessibility and engagement with the broader community.
DefenseHere.com, the expo's official media sponsor, is covering the event extensively throughout its duration and is also participating as an exhibitor.
Game-Changing Turkish Defense Products
At the opening ceremony, Turkish Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır emphasized the rapid growth in global defense spending, which surged from $1.75 trillion in 2022 to $2.45 trillion in 2023.
"As a country positioned at the crossroads of the world’s most intense crises and conflicts, Türkiye cannot remain indifferent to this reality," Kacır said, stressing the critical importance of developing national and indigenous defense technologies.
He highlighted the remarkable expansion of Türkiye's defense projects, which have grown from just 62 projects in 2002 to over 1,000 today.
Since 2002, Türkiye has issued incentive certificates for 883 defense-related investments, enabling fixed investments worth 128 billion Turkish liras ($11.96 billion). During this period, the USD/TRY exchange rate averaged 10.7.
Kacır described Türkiye’s domestic defense industry as a game-changer, citing advances across a wide range of sectors, including air, naval, land vehicles, and space systems. He underscored the country’s ambition to become a global leader in these critical technologies.
"With over 3,500 companies and more than 90,000 skilled professionals in its value chain, our defense industry is achieving new milestones daily," Kacır added.
He also highlighted the importance of collaboration within Türkiye’s defense ecosystem: "Strong cooperation between ecosystem players, combined with international quality production and innovative R&D, enables successful defense solutions that meet the needs not only of Türkiye but also of friendly and allied nations."
