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By News Centre

SAHA EXPO, which showcases the level Türkiye’s defense industry has reached and its export potential, has officially opened its doors. The event is also being viewed as a demonstration of strength, highlighting the technological sophistication and product diversity achieved by domestic companies.

Organized by SAHA Istanbul, the SAHA 2026 International Defense, Aerospace, and Space Industry Fair is being held at the Istanbul Expo Center and attracted significant attention on its opening day yesterday. The exhibition, which will host visitors until May 9, is expected to facilitate cooperation agreements and export deals for local firms.

Held across a total area of 400,000 square meters, including indoor and outdoor sections, SAHA 2026 is dedicating 20,000 square meters specifically as an open-air exhibition zone, making it one of the largest events organized to date.

The fair is expected to host participants from more than 120 countries. More than 1,700 exhibitors from 120 countries — including 263 international participants — are attending the event. In addition, over 30,000 B2B meetings, more than 200,000 visitors, and upwards of 30,000 industry professionals are expected throughout the exhibition.

A total of 203 new products are being introduced during the event. Baykar is showcasing products such as the Mızrak smart loitering munition and the K2 Kamikaze UAV, also known as the “Mosquito” loitering munition.

Meanwhile, ASELSAN is presenting the future of Türkiye’s national technologies to the global defense ecosystem at SAHA 2026 with five new products and six upgraded product versions.

The ALKA-KAPLAN HYBRID Directed Energy Weapon System Platform, developed through cooperation between ROKETSAN and FNSS and widely referred to by the public as a “laser weapon,” is also being displayed with additional capabilities.

STM is introducing its Long-Range Kamikaze UAV. The company is also unveiling for the first time to the public the upgraded version of the fixed-wing ALPAGU kamikaze UAV, equipped with enhanced capabilities and extended range, as well as an Interceptor UAV System and a Mini Reconnaissance and Surveillance System capable of providing instant intelligence and data flow.

The fair also featured the opening of a stand displaying several advanced defense models, including the intercontinental hypersonic ballistic missile “Yıldırımhan.”

Turkish National Defense Minister Yasar Guler stated that until the 1980s, Türkiye had largely been dependent on suppliers in the defense industry. However, thanks to the right investments, the country has now become a nation capable of designing, producing, and exporting its own systems.

Haluk Bayraktar, Chairman of the Board of SAHA Istanbul, emphasized that the event goes beyond being merely an exhibition and is opening the doors to a new era in the global defense and technology equation.

“National production capacity is not only an economic preference but also a matter of national survival,” Bayraktar said. “In the modern battlefield, unmanned systems, artificial intelligence, and a strong industrial infrastructure have become decisive factors.”

Haluk Gorgun, head of Türkiye’s Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB), noted that SAHA continues to grow larger every year. He revealed that export contracts approaching $7 billion had already been signed in the first four months of the year.

“Of course, with this fair, that figure will increase further. We expect contracts worth approximately $8 billion to be signed during the course of this exhibition,” Görgün said.

Turkish Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacir highlighted that Europe, which remains 80% dependent on foreign suppliers for defense products and is seeking to strengthen its defense capacity in the face of growing security threats, sees Türkiye as the solution partner it needs.

“Our sector is in a position to provide the solutions required by the European defense ecosystem through a broad portfolio of high-technology, cost-effective products that have already proven to be game changers on the battlefield,” Kacır stated.