Türkiye opened one of Europe’s largest defense and aerospace exhibitions on Tuesday, showcasing a new generation of domestically developed weapons systems as officials pointed to growing regional conflicts and shifting security threats as a driver behind the country’s expanding military industry.

The six-day SAHA 2026 International Defense, Aerospace and Space Industry Fair, organized by SAHA Istanbul, brought together more than 1,700 companies from over 120 countries at the Istanbul Expo Center, according to organizers.

More than 30,000 defense industry professionals, hundreds of foreign delegations and purchasing representatives from Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East are attending the event, which has become a major platform for Türkiye’s rapidly growing defense sector.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Defense Minister Yaşar Güler noted the global security environment had become increasingly unstable amid simultaneous wars and regional crises.

"The Russia-Ukraine war and the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran have deeply affected the regional and global security architecture,” Güler said. "These recent wars and conflicts provide us with critical data regarding future security doctrines while also increasing our responsibilities.”

He said the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) were closely monitoring developments and taking all necessary measures "without ignoring any possibility” to ensure national security.

"Until the 1980s, our country was largely dependent on foreign suppliers in defense industries,” Güler said. "Today, thanks to determined policies and strategic investments, Türkiye designs, produces and exports its own systems.”

The minister highlighted the country’s advancements in unmanned aerial systems, describing Turkish drones as technologies that had "rewritten modern warfare doctrines.”

SAHA Istanbul Chairperson Haluk Bayraktar said the organization, founded in 2015 with 27 members, has grown into Europe’s largest industrial defense cluster with more than 1,300 members.

Bayraktar said the number of participating companies had increased tenfold since the first exhibition in 2018, rising from 170 firms to more than 1,700 this year, including over 260 foreign companies.

Organizers expect more than 150,000 visitors during the exhibition, up from around 10,000 attendees at the inaugural event.

A wide range of newly developed systems were unveiled at the fair, with Turkish defense firms emphasizing low-cost autonomous platforms, artificial intelligence-supported weapons and enhanced naval capabilities.

Roketsan introduced several new systems, including the Cirit anti-drone missile, designed as a lower-cost alternative to conventional air defense missiles used against unmanned aerial vehicles.

The company also presented the Cida long-range anti-tank missile system, which features beyond-line-of-sight engagement capability and a hybrid seeker head intended to improve targeting precision.

Roketsan’s new mini cruise missile was promoted as a lower-cost strike option capable of carrying a heavier warhead over longer ranges compared with similar systems. The missile can also collect visual intelligence near target zones, according to company officials.

Another system drawing attention was Neşter, a precision-guided munition developed from the MAM-L platform. Unlike conventional explosive warheads, Neşter uses deployable cutting blades activated before impact to minimize collateral damage during targeted strikes.

Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar launched three new loitering munition systems focused on low-cost "expendable” warfare concepts increasingly associated with modern drone conflicts.

The K2 Kamikaze drone was introduced as a swarm-capable strike platform combining precision attack capability with relatively inexpensive production architecture.

Baykar also unveiled Mızrak, an AI-assisted autonomous strike system, and Sivrisinek, a lightweight platform designed to combine reconnaissance and attack functions in tactical battlefield environments.

Armored steel capability

The exhibition also highlighted advances in Türkiye’s domestic armored steel production industry.

The Miilux OY showcased new generations of ballistic protection steel developed under the Miilux Protection brand.

The company introduced Miilux Protection 560T, designed to provide the same protection level as previous models while reducing weight through thinner armor plating, and Miilux Protection 650T, an ultra-high-hardness steel intended for armored vehicles and ballistic systems.

Officials from Türkiye’s OYAK industrial group said the steel products use raw material supplied domestically by Turkish steelmaker Erdemir before final processing in facilities in Manisa province.

Reminding the strategic importance of the armor and Miilux is currently the only company producing this product in Türkiye, "the thing is the initial raw material, meaning the first steel, again comes from our own facilities, Erdemir. Afterward, here at Miilux, in our facilities in Manisa, it is transformed into armor steel,” OYAK General Manager Murat Yalçıntaş told Daily Sabah.

"We are able to integrally meet the armor needs of the land vehicles and naval vehicles of the Turkish Armed Forces and, of course, the allied armies we serve,” Yalçıntaş underlined.

Moreover, Miilux OY General Manager Yavuz Yeldan also remarked, "Steel is also very critical for naval vehicles, especially submarines.” "We produce this ourselves with domestic capabilities, using both Erdemir raw materials and our own heat-treatment process,” Yeldan noted.

"With upcoming projects, our steel will be used entirely in the national submarine project. There is no longer any foreign dependency in either land vehicles or naval vehicles,” he said.

New 6-barrel cannon for Kaan

One of the fair’s most closely watched products was a domestically developed six-barrel 20 mm cannon system for Türkiye’s fifth-generation fighter jet program, Kaan.

The system was developed by TR Mekatronik, a joint venture between Turkish firearms producer Sarsılmaz and aerospace company Turkish Aerospace Industries.

Company officials said the cannon system exceeds 95% domestic production content and avoids export-restricted foreign components.

The new cannon follows TR Mekatronik’s earlier three-barrel 20 mm system used on T129 ATAK helicopters, which has already been exported internationally.

Sarsılmaz executives described the Kaan cannon as evidence of Türkiye’s growing engineering capabilities in medium-caliber weapon systems and part of broader efforts to reduce foreign dependency in strategic defense technologies.

Defense electronics giant Aselsan also introduced several new naval warfare platforms under its "Blue Homeland” concept, focused on maritime security.

The company unveiled Kılıç, described as Türkiye’s first autonomous kamikaze underwater vehicle, and Tufan, a new kamikaze unmanned surface vessel capable of carrying a warhead comparable to a heavy torpedo.

Aselsan CEO Ahmet Akyol said the systems were intended to provide cost-effective deterrence capabilities for both Türkiye and allied navies.

"We are simultaneously conducting research, development and production processes,” Akyol said, adding that Tufan is expected to enter military inventory in 2027.