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Turkey to Establish Drone Production Facilities in All 81 Provinces Using SAHA Expo Funds
Organizers of Turkey's SAHA defense expo aim to fund drone production facilities across all provinces with event revenues, targeting $8 billion in deals this year. The expo, opening May 5, features over 1,700 companies and new unveilings from firms like Baykar and STM. Experts highlight the initiative's role in decentralizing Turkey's defense industry.
May 4, 11:31 AM·2m read1 source
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Organizers of Turkey's biennial SAHA defense expo plan to channel revenues from expected record attendance into establishing drone production facilities in each of the country's 81 provinces, officials announced ahead of the event's opening on May 5.
Haluk Bayraktar, chairman of the board of directors of SAHA and CEO of Baykar, stated that the largest drone production center will be in Istanbul. He added that these centers will be open to the public to encourage youths to participate in the drone sector, from training to testing.
2 billion. For this year's edition, he stated the target is $8 billion. More than 1,700 companies will participate in the 2026 SAHA expo, a significant increase from the 17 firms at the first edition in the early 2000s, according to SAHA organizers.
Roughly 260 of those companies will be from abroad. Ali Bakir, a defense analyst and professor at Qatar University, told Breaking Defense that SAHA 2026 is poised to be the most ambitious edition yet, with expectations for record-breaking numbers of exhibitors, visitors, and floor space.
He stated there will be a significant increase in international participation from the Gulf, Asia-Pacific, North Africa, and Europe.
Serhat Süha Çubukçuoğlu, an expert at TRENDS Research & Advisory in Abu Dhabi, told Breaking Defense that the drone production initiative could help decentralize drone production across Turkey. ' Çubukçuoğlu stated that the initiative aligns with Turkey’s broader strategy to decentralize industrial production by expanding it beyond Istanbul and the Marmara region to other parts of the country.
