Türkiye's defense industry has transformed into an ecosystem that is sought after, trusted and preferred not only in its region but also globally, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Friday.
Erdoğan called Türkiye "undoubtedly one of the founding actors" of the new era, where he says conventional power elements are being replaced by multilayered and integrated systems.
He was speaking at the SAHA 2026 defense trade show, which 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.
"Türkiye has proudly inscribed its name among the countries whose stars are shining brightly on a global scale in the fields of defense, aviation and space," Erdoğan said.
In recent years, NATO member Türkiye significantly ramped up its defense industry production.
It 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.
The country currently exports more than 230 defense systems to 185 countries.
Since it started on Tuesday, the SAHA fair has seen the signing of 182 agreements with a total business volume of $8 billion (TL 362.92 billion), Erdoğan said.
"Agreements directly aimed at exports accounted for $6 billion of this figure," he added.
Türkiye's defense exports rose about 48% year-over-year in 2025 to a record of more than $10 billion.
Erdoğan said the goal is to lift this figure to $11 billion in the near term, placing Türkiye among the world's top 10 biggest defense exporters.
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.
More than 1,760 companies attended this year's edition, including 1,500 Turkish and 263 foreign firms, Erdoğan said.
Over 200 products were showcased for the first time, he added.
"When we look at the big picture, the landscape we encounter is exactly this: the Turkish defense industry has become an ecosystem that is sought after, trusted, closely watched, and preferred not only in its region but on a global scale," said Erdoğan.
"Behind this portrait of success lies, without a doubt, the labor of decades and the hard work of hundreds of thousands of our people who have worked with a dedicated spirit, giving their all day and night."
Achieving this "was certainly not easy," said Erdoğan.
"We faced countless obstacles; they tried to block our path with embargoes. We were even subjected to betrayal and conspiracies from within."
