A New Roadmap for Defense Ahead of SAHA 2026
A press conference was held in Istanbul ahead of SAHA 2026, one of Turkey’s largest organizations in the defense, aviation, and space industries.
Attendees included Haluk Bayraktar, Chairman of the SAHA Istanbul Board of Directors; Levent Kerim Uça, Secretary General of SAHA Istanbul; İlhami Keleş, General Manager of the Machine and Chemical Industry (MKE); ROKETSAN General Manager Murat İkinci, ARCA Defense Board Chairman Özgür Rodoplu, TEI General Manager Mahmut Faruk Akşit, TUSAŞ General Manager Mehmet Demiroğlu, and other officials.
Speaking at the meeting, SAHA Istanbul Board Chairman Haluk Bayraktar noted that Turkey is preparing for a fundamental transformation in its defense production model, stating, “We aim to establish drone training and production centers in all 81 provinces. We will achieve the capacity to produce millions of drones across the entire country at any given time.”
This approach aims to move away from the traditional centralized production model and establish sustainable production capabilities even in crisis and war scenarios.
Bayraktar noted that current conflict examples on the ground also validate this model, highlighting that in Ukraine, millions of drones could be produced using small-scale production infrastructure spread across the country rather than large-scale facilities. He emphasized that Turkey also aims to establish a similar distributed, flexible, and sustainable production ecosystem.
Space Dome and the ALTAY Tank to be displayed for the first time
Speaking at the meeting, SAHA Istanbul Secretary General Levent Kerim Uça noted that the scope of the exhibition has been significantly expanded this year as part of SAHA EXPO 2026.
Uça highlighted the creation of new concept areas in the open-air section, stating, “This year, we have created two separate areas for ground vehicles, unmanned ground vehicles, and rovers, which we refer to as ‘planetary rovers.’”
Emphasizing that space is one of this year’s key themes, Uça announced that a special area called “Space Dome” will be established at the fair for the first time.
“We are creating the Space Dome area for the first time in Turkey,” said Uça, adding that panels, discussions, and presentations on space technologies will be held within the scope of the Space Talks sessions in this area.
It was also noted that some new product launches will take place in this area, and the Space Dome is expected to be one of the fair’s most eye-catching sections.
Speaking at the SAHA 2026 press conference, SAHA Board Member Mehmet Karaaslan announced that the first ALTAY Tank produced at the serial production line in Ankara will be displayed at SAHA 2026.
Details of the 81-Province Vision Were Shared
During the question-and-answer session of the press conference, details regarding the drone training and production centers planned to be established in all 81 provinces were also shared.
Haluk Bayraktar, Chairman of the SAHA Istanbul Board of Directors, noted that Turkey already possesses significant expertise in this field, stating, “We’ve been working on this infrastructure for many years.”
Görgün, recalling that projects like TEKNOFEST and Deneyap bring young people into contact with technology at an early age, emphasized that the centers to be established will expand this capacity across the entire country.
“When you provide our youth with the necessary kits and educational environment, this process naturally unfolds,” said Bayraktar, noting that Turkey also has a strong pool of skilled human resources in this field.
The Reality of Modern Warfare: MKE Highlights the “EBU Model”
Responding to a question from Anıl Şahin, Editor-in-Chief of SavunmaSanayiST, regarding rapidly depleting ammunition stocks and mass production capacity in modern warfare, MKE General Manager İlhami Keleş highlighted that millions of dollars’ worth of ammunition had been consumed in a short time during recent conflicts, stressing that sustainable production capacity has become critical.
“Sustainability is very important here. The ability of national economies to support these products and maintain mass production is decisive,” said Keleş, noting that the EBU (Effective, Simple, Cheap) approach has emerged as a key solution in this context.
“We need to establish a sustainable defense infrastructure with effective, simple, and affordable products,” said Keleş, noting that replacing high-cost, complex systems—which are depleted quickly—has become difficult, making it inevitable to shift toward systems that can be produced more rapidly and have a high impact on the battlefield.
Keleş also highlighted the importance of spreading production infrastructure across the entire country, noting that the centers SAHA plans to establish in all 81 provinces are a concrete reflection of this approach. Emphasizing that Turkey’s early adaptation to this model provides a significant advantage, Keleş stated that the defense ecosystem is being reshaped in this direction.
Drone Cooperation with Japan on the Agenda
Haluk Bayraktar also touched upon Japan’s new steps in the defense industry sector, stating that these developments present an important opportunity for Turkey.
“Japan’s opening in this field is a positive development,” said Bayraktar, drawing attention to an ongoing cooperation process between the two countries, particularly regarding unmanned aerial vehicles.
Haluk Bayraktar, Chairman of the Board of Directors at SAHA Istanbul, recalled that the Japanese Defense Minister recently visited Baykar and noted that this process is progressing positively.
“Çakıl” Enters Production
During the Q&A session of the meeting, significant developments regarding domestic electronic and processor technologies in the defense industry were shared.
Haluk Bayraktar, Chairman of the SAHA Istanbul Board of Directors, noted that technology cards developed under the Deneyap initiative are being widely adopted across Turkey, emphasizing that these cards can be used on various platforms.
“This card can fly a drone and also operate a maritime vehicle,” said Bayraktar, announcing that a new-generation card equipped with an AI processor will be introduced in the near future.
Haluk Bayraktar stated that this infrastructure will be integrated with SAHA’s drone initiatives, noting that not only the platform but all sub-components, including flight control systems, will be domestically produced.
$1.5 Billion Investment from MKE
During the Q&A session, the Machine and Chemical Industry (MKE)’s new investment plans also came up.
MKE General Manager İlhami Keleş emphasized that the institution is not merely a commercial entity, noting that they bear the responsibility of producing all systems required by the Turkish Armed Forces.
“We must produce everything the Armed Forces need,” said Keleş, adding that within this scope, investments are continuing not only in high-profit areas but also in more limited yet critical needs.
Providing information on the approximately $1.5 billion investment program, Keleş noted that the majority of the projects will be operational in the short term, adding, “By the end of this year, MKE will have achieved a very high production capacity.”
TUSAŞ: Focus on KAAN and HÜRJET
TUSAŞ General Manager Mehmet Demiroğlu, while providing information on the platforms to be exhibited at the fair, emphasized that national projects would take center stage.
Demiroğlu stated, “We will exhibit the ANKA-3 for the first time as a full-scale mock-up, and the HÜRJET will also be featured at the fair,” while highlighting that work on the KAAN program is proceeding as planned.
Demiroğlu noted that the goal is to fly two prototypes for KAAN this year, and added that flight plans for ANKA-3’s series production process are ongoing.
SAHA 2026: Record Scale, Global Participation
SAHA 2026 will take place in Istanbul from May 5–9, 2026. With its structure encompassing all layers of the defense, aviation, and space ecosystem, the fair is expanding its scale again this year. The fair, spanning a total area of 400,000 square meters, is expected to host over 1,700 participating companies and 200,000 visitors.
Germany, Canada, and Sudan—which have not previously participated in the fair—are joining the event for the first time with their own pavilions.
A total of 263 international participants from 46 countries across four continents will be present at the fair, with Europe accounting for the largest share at 45%.
According to current data, 161 delegations and 443 high-level officials from 71 countries are expected to attend the fair, with these figures representing an increase of approximately 30–40% compared to the previous event.
