In his opening speech, Prof. Dr. Haluk GÖRGÜN, President of the Secretariat of Defense Industries, highlighted that over 3,500 companies are currently active in the Turkish Defense Industry, with approximately 2,000 of them exporting in 2024, positioning Türkiye as the 11th largest defense industry exporter globally. GÖRGÜN shared the following details about the sector’s 2024 performance: “We closed last year with an export figure of $7.1 Billion, marking a 29% increase compared to the previous year. As of July 16, 2025, we have reached $4 Billion in exports so far this year. At the same period last year, this figure was $3 Billion. This means our companies have achieved approximately 33% more exports in the first 6,5 months of 2025. Newly signed contracts, or ‘backlog’ orders, are also very significant. My colleagues informed me that in the first 6,5 months of this year, our companies signed contracts worth $6 Billion. The defense industry typically experiences seasonality, with figures tending to rise in the last quarter, particularly the final three months. Even with a linear progression, the current figures significantly surpass last year’s, indicating that we will close 2025 with both export figures and the number/value of new contracts well above last year’s results,” he stated.

Continuing his remarks, Prof. Dr. Haluk GÖRGÜN provided insights on the added value of exports: “When we divide the $7.1 Billion in exports by the 95,000 employees in the sector, we achieve approximately $75.000 in exports per person. From this perspective, I can say we are a sector with significantly high added value. Five of our companies are among the top 100 defense industry companies globally, with some now ranking in the top 50 and even top 40. Approximately 75% of the $7.1 Billion in exports goes to the United States, NATO, and European Union member countries. In the first six months of 2025, four of the top five countries in Türkiye’s export rankings are European nations. Türkiye develops cost-effective, high-technology products. Exporting products in the defense industry is not easy. Your technology must be satisfactory, cost-effective, and backed by established after-sales trust,” he said.

Underlining that Türkiye has NATO’s second-largest army and that the Turkish Defense Industry is its greatest supporter, GÖRGÜN shared updates on activities conducted within the NATO framework. “We hosted NATO’s highest-level meeting at the ambassadorial level in Türkiye, where we showcased our companies’ infrastructure, production capacities, and agility. We invited and hosted several high-level NATO events in Türkiye. One of these was the Diamond Level events, including Multi-Domain Operations. Additionally, there is a series of events where next-generation technologies are discussed or defined, two of which we are hosting in Türkiye. We established a NATO Directorate under the Secretariat of Defense Industries to increase awareness among our companies and SMEs about NATO member countries and NATO procurement, encouraging their participation in tenders. Furthermore, we invited the head of NATO’s Procurement Directorate to our Global Strategies Conference earlier this year, bringing her together with our companies. We emphasized that NATO member countries should make greater use of Türkiye’s defense industry development, expertise, and agility. In the coming period, the NATO Leaders’ Summit will be held in Ankara in 2026, where the Secretariat of Defense Industries will also organize the Defense Industry Forum session,” he stated.

Commenting on the 17th International Defense Industry Fair, IDEF 2025, which will take place from July 22-27 at the Istanbul Fair Center, Prof. Dr. Haluk GÖRGÜN stated: “This year, we will hold the 17th IDEF at the Istanbul Fair Center. We view the IDEF Fair as a global stage for showcasing our indigenous and national engineering, strategic determination, and technological confidence. The Turkish Defense Industry has become a strategic power, and as I mentioned earlier, we will share this on the international stage. Last year, 187 delegations participated, with around 35 Ministers and Deputy Ministers in attendance. Over 5,000 planned meetings were held, and approximately 150 contracts and memoranda of understanding were signed. This year, based on the figures I received from my colleagues, these numbers are significantly higher. We have extended the IDEF Fair to six days this year. The first four days will be open exclusively to professionals, while the last two days will be open to both professionals and young engineers and entrepreneurs. We have allocated a quota of approximately 20,000 people for Saturday and Sunday. Holding the event at Atatürk Airport for the first time has allowed us to diversify activities and added extra excitement. The Fair will utilize both indoor and outdoor spaces, as well as Atatürk Airport and Ataköy Marina together. The opening ceremony will be held outdoors, featuring a parade of ground and air vehicles. With the participation of our esteemed President, we will open IDEF on Tuesday. This year, 44 countries will participate in the Fair. Last year, there were exhibitors with booths from 24 countries. For this Fair, nearly twice as many new countries expressed interest in participating, and we have accepted them. The Fair will cover approximately 72,000 square meters of indoor space.”

Following the speech by the Secretary of Defense Industries, Prof. Dr. Haluk GÖRGÜN, TAFF General Manager Bilal TOPÇU took the floor to share updates and figures regarding innovations and the current status of the IDEF 2025 Fair with the members of press. TOPÇU stated, “As the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation, we began technical preparations for IDEF 2025 approximately one and a half years ago. As you know, IDEF has been held in Büyükçekmece for a long time. This year, following a decision by the Board of Directors, we designated the Istanbul Fair Center as the new venue and began preparations by partnering with KFA Fuarcılık as the organizing company. Turning this change into an opportunity, we planned a larger and more dynamic IDEF by utilizing not only the Istanbul Fair Center but also Atatürk Airport, Ataköy Marina, and the WOW Convention Center across four different locations. Over 1,400 companies will participate in the Fair, including more than 900 domestic and over 400 foreign companies from 44 countries. Additionally, 219 delegations and 937 delegation members from 99 countries and international organizations will attend as state guests. We are organizing the reception, accommodation, and detailed schedules for all our guests. Each delegation will be accompanied by colleagues assigned various tasks, including drivers, civilian and military escorts, and interpreters. With airport welcome teams and staff working at the Fair, we have a robust and large team. Public officials from Ankara with specific missions will also be present. In total, thousands of team members will work together at the Fair.

At the previous Fair, we achieved an 84% success rate with over 5,000 meetings. This year, as mentioned earlier, we completely revamped the Fair’s software platform in collaboration with HAVELSAN. Planning continues through this platform. In addition to the halls at the fair venue, we have designated Atatürk Airport’s C Terminal and apron area as the IDEF Terminal. An Unmanned Systems Hall will be located indoors, while the outdoor apron area will feature static displays of aircraft, ground vehicles, and large defense systems. One of IDEF’s traditional events, ship visits, will be held this year under the name ‘IDEF on the Sea’ at Ataköy Marina, where 14 naval platforms will be showcased. Smaller vessels and unmanned surface vehicles will be displayed at the marina, while TCG Anadolu and other warships will be stationed offshore. As always, we plan to showcase our ships and their indigenous systems to the delegations. We have another innovation this year: on the third evening of the Fair, we will host a ‘Network Summit’ at the WOW Convention Center in the fairgrounds’ garden, bringing together company representatives and delegations. Guests who couldn’t connect during the Fair’s busy days will have the opportunity to meet in a setting with refreshments and music. We are also organizing an event called ‘Defenders of Tomorrow’ for university students and startups, with 12 startups and 12 universities participating. They will showcase their projects at designated booths and present on a dedicated stage. We haven’t forgotten our valued media representatives either. At the Fair’s main entrance, we’ve created a comfortable and well-equipped Media Center where you can work, charge your devices, and enjoy refreshments. Additionally, we’ve set up three studios in an interview area within Hall 5 for your use. To manage crowd flow, we’ve prepared nearly 40,000 participant badges in protocol envelopes and sent them to companies and high-level attendees in advance. To further reduce congestion, we’ve set up six accreditation tents, including at parking areas. Throughout the Fair, shuttle services will operate between the Istanbul Fair Center, Atatürk Airport, Ataköy Marina, and parking areas,” he said.

Following the opening speeches, the General Managers of ASFAT and TAFF/TSKGV companies briefed the media on their ongoing programs and the products and technologies they will showcase at the Fair. ASELSAN General Manager Ahmet AKYOL, noting that ASELSAN is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, made the following remarks: “Founded 50 years ago to produce communication systems indigenously, our company is participating in IDEF this year with a wide range of products across 15 different technology domains. We are forging new global partnerships every day. In line with this strategy, we signed export contracts for 30 products for the first time last year alone, increasing the number of countries we export to 93. At the Fair, we will introduce nine next-generation technologies in the fields of radar, electronic warfare, electro-optics, air defense, and communications. Within this scope, we will hold over 20 signing ceremonies on both national and international levels. Visitors will have the opportunity to closely examine more than 100 of our products covering all our activity areas. In the outdoor area, all components of our country’s Layered Air Defense System, ÇELİKKUBBE, will be displayed together. Indoors, we will showcase communication systems, naval systems, border security, tank modernization, command and control, tactical communications, urban security, and space systems. At Atatürk Airport, we will exhibit our electronic warfare and air defense technologies. At the C Terminal, we will feature our unmanned systems. Our naval solutions will also be presented to visitors at Ataköy Marina. Additionally, at IDEF, we will honor our business partners who have exported over $10 Million to more than 100 countries.”

ROKETSAN General Manager Murat İKİNCİ: “We will showcase six products that have reached the prototype and initial testing stages in our R&D projects.”

ROKETSAN General Manager Murat İKİNCİ stated that ROKETSAN aims to transform IDEF from an event that follows global trends into a trendsetting activity in the defense industry, emphasizing ballistic missile technologies, cruise missile technologies, air defense, and air-to-air missiles. He shared the following: “In this context, with the participation of our media representatives, we will have the opportunity to showcase and launch six new products from ROKETSAN’s internal R&D projects that have reached the prototype and initial testing stages at IDEF. These six new products possess cutting-edge technological features in their respective fields, distinguishing them from their global counterparts.”

TUSAŞ President & CEO Mehmet DEMİROĞLU: “Two HÜRJET aircraft will perform flight demonstrations.”

TUSAŞ President & CEO Mehmet DEMİROĞLU stated that TUSAŞ will participate in the IDEF Fair with over 2,000 square meters of booth space across four halls, adding: “We will unveil our 10-ton class helicopter at the Fair. This helicopter is being prepared for both firefighting operations and to meet the needs of our Armed Forces for platforms that need to be replaced over the next 10-15 years. At the terminal, we will also display our products in the UAV category, particularly tactical UAVs. Two HÜRJET aircraft will perform flight demonstrations. Additionally, our ATAK, T70, and GÖKBEY helicopters, which have been introduced to the inventory, will also perform flight demonstrations. Furthermore, we will sign several significant and anticipated agreements at the Fair.”

HAVELSAN General Manager Mehmet Akif NACAR: “We will showcase our innovations at the Fair with our Artificial Intelligence Vision motto, ‘Future AI Ready.’”

HAVELSAN General Manager Mehmet Akif NACAR stated that the company will participate in IDEF for the first time with its artificial intelligence vision under the motto “Future AI Ready,” saying: “At this IDEF, we will demonstrate how we can develop more robust products with the integration of advanced artificial intelligence technologies. We will present and showcase our products, including ADVENT enhanced with our new AI technology,’ the Combat Management System integrated with AI Technology, and a Maintenance Support Assistant used as a Virtual Assistant. Our next-generation ‘All Domain C4I,’ which incorporates AI-driven decision support mechanisms and a hybrid operational environment involving manned and unmanned systems, will also be among our captivating demonstrations. Similarly, we will showcase our command, control, and information systems software for land, air, surface, and underwater domains through live systems for visitors. For the first time, we will introduce our ship navigation system in the e-maritime field at IDEF. Another innovation at IDEF will be in the simulator domain, featuring the ALTAY Tank Simulator. This will offer a truly unique experience and is positioned as a standout product for us. At the C Terminal, we will present models and a digital operations scenario for our BAHA, BARKAN, and SANCAR products within the context of our digital troop concept. The concept of using BAHA in the electronic warfare field will also be demonstrated for the first time, and we believe it will generate significant interest. As you know, IDEF stands out with its demonstrations across various domains. We will not only have displays at the C Terminal but also live demonstrations of BAHA, BULUT, and BARKAN, as well as showcases of our CENGAVER digital soldier product in the apron area. At Ataköy Marina, alongside our Armed Unmanned Surface Vehicle SANCAR, we will introduce and demonstrate another maritime vehicle developed with another shipyard, leveraging our software, integration experience, and expertise.”

STM General Manager Özgür GÜLERYÜZ: “After the National Corvette and National Frigate, we will showcase our National Fast Attack Craft, designed by our country, at the IDEF Fair.”

STM General Manager Özgür GÜLERYÜZ emphasized that the Fair provides a unique opportunity to showcase the company’s capabilities, stating: “At STM, we intend to leverage IDEF as a significant opportunity to expand our exports to new markets. As you know, we recently signed a contract with Malaysia for the construction of three corvettes, and their construction has begun. This marks our first naval ship export to the Pacific. We have also undertaken submarine modernization for Pakistan, along with a submarine logistics support vessel and other submarine modernization projects. More recently, we signed a contract for a logistics support vessel with Portugal, marking our first export to an EU and NATO member country. Meanwhile, our Tactical UAV Systems continue to be delivered to the Turkish Armed Forces, and exports have been made to approximately 15 countries. As a result, by the end of 2024, approximately 65% of STM’s revenue came from exports. However, aligned with the vision set by our President, we aim to continuously increase our export ratio. In the maritime domain, our National Fast Attack Craft and STM-500 Submarine will be showcased by STM for the first time. The Steel Cutting Ceremony of our Fast Attack Craft was held on July 8, 2025. In the tactical UAV domain, among the products we will showcase for the first time is our KARGU-Hybrid, which has gained numerous new capabilities in terms of both ammunition capacity and warhead. We will also display our BOYGA Tactical UAV System, capable of carrying multiple munitions, for the first time at IDEF. Additionally, our smart munition called SUNGAR, developed in collaboration with the Secretariat of Defense Industries, will be unveiled at IDEF. We will also exhibit drones we are developing to carry multiple munitions and various payloads at the Fair.”

ASFAT General Manager Prof. Mustafa İLBAŞ: “At IDEF 2025, ASFAT will sign numerous agreements for sales, procurement, representation, collaboration, distributorship, and MoUs.”

ASFAT General Manager Prof. Mustafa İLBAŞ stated that they view IDEF as a showcase for the nation’s defense industry, sharing the following remarks: “At IDEF 2025, we are intensively preparing to present our products and capabilities, ranging from shipbuilding to modernization solutions, aviation to land systems, to our domestic and international stakeholders and valued media representatives. This Fair will not only foster commercial relationships but also serve as a platform for forging technological partnerships. At IDEF 2025, ASFAT will sign numerous agreements for sales, procurement, representation, collaboration, distributorship, and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs). Our booth will be shared with the Ministry of National Defense and two affiliated companies, including MKE”

TEI General Manager Prof. M. Faruk AKŞİT: “We have scheduled meetings with 15 different companies and institutions from 7 different countries, and we will strive to turn these into contracts.”

TEI General Manager Prof. M. Faruk AKŞİT provided insights to the media about the new products and the latest status of projects that the company will showcase at the IDEF Fair: “At this IDEF, we will present a historic engine for the first time. You can see the actual engine used by Vecihi Bey for the first manned flight in Turkish aviation history at our booth. We will be located in Hall 7, Booth 3. Additionally, you will see our PD-170 engine, which broke a world record last year by powering AKSUNGUR to an altitude above 40,000 feet and enabling it to stay airborne for 45 hours, as well as being used to take off and land TB3 from the TCG Anadolu. Alongside this, we run the TF-6000 engine last year, and as of now, it has surpassed the thrust level of the foreign-sourced engine powering the first prototype of KIZILELMA Fighter UAV. You will also see the TF-6000 at the Fair. Beyond engines, we are developing an ecosystem to support these engines with the support and projects of the Secretariat of Defense Industries. A prime example is our TEI ALLOYS company, which will be at Hall 1, Booth E7. There, you can see samples of Turkish alloys developed for the first time in Türkiye, featuring dozens of different indigenous alloys. You can also view the complete set of hot-section blades and vanes we produced entirely indigenously for the TS1400 engine of the GÖKBEY Helicopter. We will proudly present this as a significant technological achievement. This year, we have an even busier schedule than in previous years. We have planned meetings with 15 different companies and institutions from 7 different countries, and we will strive to turn these into contracts. In these meetings, we will discuss five different indigenous engines. Additionally, we will explore opportunities for contracts related to five different international engine programs. Lastly, as part of our support for national defense, in collaboration with the General Directorate of Military Factories and ASFAT, we will sign a 5-year (3+2) Maintenance and Repair Contract for the engines of the Cougar Helicopters used in the daily operations of our Armed Forces at IDEF. This contract will cover modules for approximately 80 different engines and is valued at around $75 Million.”

MKE Deputy General Manager Tolga ÇELİK: “At this Fair, we will achieve Türkiye’s first naval gun export. The counterpart country has requested that we not disclose the contract, so we cannot share the country’s name, but we are delighted to announce Türkiye’s first naval gun export here.”

Noting that the company is celebrating its 75th anniversary, MKE Deputy General Manager Tolga ÇELİK, stated that MKE will participate in the Fair with its broadest product range ever, sharing the following: “At IDEF 2025, we will take center stage with our new products and solutions that enhance land, air, and naval systems. We will showcase a variety of munitions for Land Forces, our layered hybrid air defense concept products, drone systems, weapon and turret systems designed against evolving threats, and our unmanned surface vehicle PİRANA, which stands out with its concept—‘Effective, Simple, and Affordable,’ as described by our General Manager. For the first time, we will bring PİRANA to all our stakeholders at IDEF. Additionally, we will feature our fully indigenized CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear) products, ranging from steel helmets to CBRN detection robots and drones, all tested in our internationally accredited laboratories to NATO standards. You will also see the outcomes of 38 R&D projects, including precision loitering munitions ready for inventory, multi-purpose fuses, warhead propellants, modular propellants, kamikaze drones, anti-radiation drones, and wire-guided drones. MKE will implement a system concept at its stand for the first time at this Fair, and we will launch this concept together with you at IDEF. In addition to our layered hybrid air defense concept, we will exhibit a product that detects buried threats like mines, IEDs, and plastic explosives using low-power microwave signals, responding only to security risks. Alongside new technology warheads and fuse systems, our PİRANA Kamikaze Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV), equipped with autonomous and hybrid control system infrastructure and embodying the new concept—‘Effective, Simple, and Affordable’—will play a significant role in enhancing the deterrence and effectiveness of our Naval Forces and will be showcased at the Fair. As previously reported, in the latest joint exercise with TCG Anadolu and Bayraktar TB3, PİRANA successfully destroyed a distant target via remote command through a data link. PİRANA will also be at this Fair. As part of IDEF 2025 Fair visits, MKE hosted an official reception at the Gazi Cartridge Factory on July 8, 2025, with participation from 29 military attachés and their assistants from 21 countries. Invitation letters were sent to 129 foreign institutions and companies, made possible through the new platform established by our Foundation. Thanks to these efforts, we will maintain a very busy meeting schedule throughout the Fair. Having achieved Türkiye’s first artillery export to Europe last year, MKE will now accomplish Türkiye’s first naval gun export at this Fair. The counterpart country has requested that we not disclose the contract, so we cannot share the country’s name, but we are delighted to announce Türkiye’s first naval gun export here. Although we cannot share details of some agreements yet, we will sign numerous contracts with a wide range of countries at this Fair”