Türkiye expects a deal volume of around $8 billion to be signed on the sidelines of one of the most significant international defense and aerospace exhibitions that kicked off on Tuesday, according to top officials.

SAHA EXPO serves as a primary platform for showcasing Türkiye's domestic defense capabilities and has over the years seen billions of dollars added to the country's defense exports.

"During this fair, we expect contracts worth around $8 billion to be signed," Haluk Görgün, head of the Defense Industries Presidency (SSB), said. That would mark an increase from $6.2 billion sealed during the last edition.

Türkiye has injected billions of dollars to transform from a nation heavily reliant on equipment from abroad to one that is a major exporter and where homegrown systems now meet almost all of its defense industry needs.

For much of the past two decades, Ankara has expressed frustration over its Western allies' failure to provide adequate defense systems against missile threats despite Türkiye being a major NATO member.

Türkiye currently exports more than 230 defense products to 185 countries, Görgün said, adding that repeated demand from export markets shows satisfaction with Turkish defense products and services.

Türkiye's defense exports sealed a record 2025, rising about 48% year-over-year to more than $10 billion. The goal for 2028 is to lift the full-year figure to $11 billion, placing Türkiye among the world's top 10 biggest defense exporters, according to officials.

Export contracts signed in the first four months of this year approached $7 billion, according to Görgün.

'Partner Europe needs is Türkiye'

Global military spending rose by 2.9% year-over-year in 2025 to nearly $2.9 trillion, marking an 11th consecutive year of growth, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

That brought the growth over the past decade to 41% and took spending as a share of GDP ​to 2.5% – its highest level since 2009.

The main ⁠contributor to higher global spending was a 14% rise in Europe to $864 billion, as concerns over the reliability of the U.S. as a NATO partner contributed to higher budgets.

Addressing the fair in Istanbul, Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır said Türkiye is well-positioned to meet Europe's growing defense needs.

Europe remains around 80% dependent on foreign defense products while accelerating efforts to bolster its defense capacity, Kacır noted.

"The solution partner Europe needs is Türkiye," he noted.

"Our sector is in a position to provide the solutions required by the European defense ecosystem with a broad portfolio of high-technology, cost-effective products that have proven their game-changing role in the field."

He warned that excluding Türkiye from European defense programs would leave the continent facing "irreversible strategic losses."

"Our NATO-standard production infrastructure allows Turkish defense products to be rapidly integrated into allied platforms," he said.

2 out of 3 drones are Türkiye-made

According to Kacır, Türkiye has built an integrated defense ecosystem covering research and development, testing infrastructure, serial production capabilities and human capital.

He also said Turkish firms now produce two out of every three military drones sold globally and that Türkiye is among 10 countries capable of designing, developing and producing their own warships.

Kacır cited platforms including the Kaan fifth-generation fighter jet, Bayraktar TB3 drone, Gökdoğan and Bozdoğan air-to-air missiles, the Bayraktar Kızılelma unmanned fighter aircraft, Altay tank, Hürjet trainer jet and elements of the Steel Dome air defense architecture as examples of Türkiye's defense progress.

The fair, organized by SAHA Istanbul, Türkiye's and Europe's largest defense, aviation and space industry cluster, was launched in 2018 when it hosted 180 companies from 12 countries.

The trade show has since expanded to host more than 120 countries and over 100,000 visitors.

This year's edition will run through Saturday and be attended by nearly 200 delegations, Görgün said.

Haluk Bayraktar, chair of SAHA Istanbul, said the exhibition was more than a trade fair and had become a meeting point for technology leaders shaping future industries.

He said this year's event was hosting 263 international companies from more than 120 countries. A total of 203 new products will be introduced and 164 signing ceremonies are scheduled to be held during the fair.

Bayraktar said the world was moving from trade wars toward technological sovereignty struggles, with protectionism, supply chain disruptions and energy market volatility exposing vulnerabilities in industrial systems.

"In this new era, national production capacity is no longer just an economic choice but a vital resilience test and strategic necessity for states," he said.

Rewriting military doctrines

Defense Minister Yaşar Güler said Türkiye had transformed from a country largely dependent on foreign suppliers until the 1980s into one capable of designing, producing and exporting its own defense systems.

He said Turkish unmanned aerial vehicles represented the country's most significant defense breakthrough.

"The real revolution of the Turkish defense industry has been achieved with our drones, which have rewritten military doctrines worldwide," Güler said.

He added that Türkiye's UAV, armed drone and high-altitude unmanned systems had demonstrated the capabilities of Turkish engineering globally through artificial intelligence integration, precision strike capacity and high-altitude performance.

Debut of new technologies

A wide range of high-tech products will make their debuts at SAHA 2026. Domestically developed unmanned naval vehicles are also being displayed.

Turkish drone giant Baykar will display Mızrak, a nationally and indigenously developed smart loitering munition that draws attention with its range of more than 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) and artificial intelligence-supported autonomous capabilities.

Baykar's K2 Kamikaze UAV and Sivrisinek (Mosquito) loitering munition will also be exhibited for the first time.

Another Turkish defense giant, Aselsan, is expected to present five new products and six upgraded versions of existing products.

The Alka-Kaplan Hybrid Directed Energy Weapon System Platform, developed through cooperation between Roketsan and FNSS and widely known as a "laser weapon," will also appear at the fair with additional capabilities.

Turkish defense giant Roketsan's newest and most advanced technology products will also be introduced, while STM will display air and naval systems developed for the needs of the modern battlefield for the first time.