Istanbul: Trkiye expects around $8 billion in export contracts to be signed during this week's SAHA 2026 fair in Istanbul, one of the country's largest defense, aviation, and space industry events, the head of the Turkish Defense Industries Secretariat said Tuesday.
According to Anadolu Agency, Haluk Gorgun, speaking on the sidelines of the SAHA 2026 International Defence and Aerospace Exhibition at the Istanbul Expo Center, stated, "During this fair, we expect contracts worth around $8 billion to be signed." The event, organized by SAHA Istanbul, Trkiye's and Europe's largest defense, aviation and space industry cluster, opened its doors Tuesday and will run through Saturday. Anadolu is the fair's global communications partner.
Gorgun highlighted the continuous expansion of the SAHA fair, noting its growth from 180 firms in 2018 to one of Europe's largest defense industry gatherings. He mentioned that the fair initially began on an area of just 5,000 square meters with 180 companies from 12 countries. By 2024, it had attracted participants from 121 countries and more than 100,000 visitors.
"This year, around 121,000 square meters of stand space is being used. Nearly 200 delegations will attend, along with more than 800 official participants accompanying those delegations," Gorgun added. The fair layout features a 'green road' with major Turkish defense companies positioned at key squares, surrounded by their subcontractors and industrial partners, embodying an ecosystem approach.
Gorgun emphasized SAHA Istanbul's crucial role in strengthening Trkiye's defense supply chain by enhancing interactions between small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), prime contractors, and subcontractors, and supporting the localization of new products. He also mentioned that major projects and decisions taken by the Defense Industry Executive Committee would be announced throughout the event.
Trkiye's defense industry, achieving a localization rate of more than 80% over the past 20 years, now develops products and platforms across all major defense domains, including land, air, naval, submarine, and space systems. Trkiye not only produces platforms but also develops their subsystems, munitions, and logistics systems, offering them to friendly and allied countries under a 'win-win' approach.
Currently, Trkiye exports more than 230 defense products to 185 countries, with repeated demand indicating satisfaction with Turkish defense products and services. Gorgun also revealed that Trkiye posted a record $10.5 billion in defense and aerospace exports last year, while export contracts signed in the first four months of this year approached $7 billion. "With this fair, that figure will increase further," he noted, underscoring the potential for substantial export growth through the fair.