Turkish defense companies announced that they signed approximately $8 billion in export contracts during the first three days of the SAHA 2026 fair. The fair, which began on Tuesday and concludes on Saturday, has already exceeded the volume initially projected for the entire event. SAHA Istanbul Chair Haluk Bayraktar stated on social media platform X that "as a country, we achieved a historic record at SAHA 2026."

SAHA Istanbul operates as Europe's largest defense, aviation, and space industry cluster. The fair serves as a primary platform for showcasing Turkey's domestic defense capabilities and has contributed billions of dollars to the country's defense exports over the years. The event enables companies in the sector to establish direct contact with international buyers and develop long-term commercial relationships. Domestic platforms displayed at the fair, such as the Bayraktar Kızılelma unmanned combat aircraft, represent significant indicators of Turkey's technological capacity.

In recent years, NATO member Turkey has substantially increased defense industry production. The country has transformed from a position of heavy dependence on foreign sources to becoming a major exporter where domestic systems now meet nearly all defense requirements. This transformation is the result of billions of dollars in investment and years of research and development efforts. Turkey has long expressed frustration over NATO allies' failure to provide adequate defense systems against missile threats, prompting the development of indigenous solutions.

Turkey's defense exports increased approximately 48 percent year-over-year in 2025, reaching over $10 billion. Government officials have stated the goal of raising the full-year figure to $11 billion, positioning Turkey among the world's top 10 defense exporters. Contracts signed in the first four months of 2026 approached $7 billion. Turkey currently exports more than 230 defense systems to 185 countries. These figures demonstrate the maturity Turkey has achieved in the defense sector and its strong position in the global market.

The Turkish defense industry ecosystem includes leading companies such as ASELSAN, ROKETSAN, TUSAŞ, Baykar, and FNSS. These organizations have developed a broad range of products spanning land, air, and sea platforms, electronic systems, missiles, and ammunition. In the international market, Turkish systems meet NATO standards and in many cases offer more competitive pricing compared to Western counterparts. The SAHA fair has become a critical platform for demonstrating the strength and diversity of this ecosystem to the global market.