ISTANBUL, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Agreements signed at SAHA EXPO 2026, Türkiye's premier defense and aerospace exhibition, generated a business volume of 8 billion U.S. dollars, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced Friday.
Speaking at the event in Istanbul, Erdogan emphasized that 6 billion of the total came from direct export-oriented deals, highlighting the "growing global trust" in Turkish-made defense technologies, from unmanned aerial vehicles to naval systems.
"The Turkish defense industry has evolved into a sought-after and preferred ecosystem on a global scale," he said.
This year's fifth edition of the expo brought together 1,763 companies, including 1,500 domestic and 263 foreign participants, with 203 products unveiled for the first time, Erdogan added.
The 8-billion-dollar business volume, finalized through 182 separate agreements, reflects both international sales and a deepening domestic supply chain within the SAHA Istanbul cluster, according to the president.
The five-day event, which opened on Tuesday, is scheduled to conclude on Saturday, with the final day exclusively for public visitors. ■
