Gulf Demand for Turkish Air Defense Surges Fivefold After Iran Attacks: SAHA Istanbul Expo Highlights Cirit, Alka, Tolga
According to two Breaking Defense reports dated 27-28 May 2026, executives at the SAHA Istanbul Defence and Aerospace Cluster exhibition confirmed that Gulf demand for Turkish short-range air-defense and counter-drone platforms has surged fivefold since Iranian drone and missile strikes on neighbouring countries. Technology-transfer willingness and competitive pricing are driving the shift.
Roketsan Deputy General Manager Murat Kurtulus: “We are very open to make such collaborations with other countries.” MKE Regional Manager Ersin Kandur confirmed a “five times more” increase in Gulf inquiries since the Iran attacks.
Key systems in demand: Roketsan Cirit (5 km laser-guided counter-UAS missile), Alka (directed-energy, hybrid EM+laser), Tolga (layered SHORAD: EW soft-kill + 35mm cannon/laser hard-kill). MKE received USD1.5 billion in investment at the fair. HAVELSAN and MKE showcased UGV, USV and drone swarm autonomy packages.
The SAHA fair data confirms Turkey’s defense export profile is shifting from Central Asian and Balkan markets toward long-term Gulf partnerships with technology-transfer components — an alignment with Saudi Vision 2030’s defence localisation ambitions. Full Turkish-language analysis available in the TR edition.
