Turkish defense firms showcase products at London fair

ISTANBUL

Some 30 Turkish defense companies are showcasing their latest products at the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) fair in London.

Aselsan, Roketsan, MKE, Nurol Makina and Canik are among the major Turkish exhibitors at the fair, which takes place between Sept. 12-15.

“Our new solutions, exhibited for the first time at this show, are met with great interest in London. We keep on hosting high-level delegations, professionals from the defense sector and press members,” Aselsan wrote on the X platform.

Roketsan is hoping to consolidate its position in the U.K. defense market, said the company’s executives.

“Türkiye and the United Kingdom have been taking steps toward boosting their collaboration in the defense and aviation sectors. As a major producer of missiles, rockets and ammunitions, we want to further strengthen our cooperation with our NATO ally in the field of defense,” said Murat İkinci, the general manager of the company, adding that the London fair will hopefully yield some concrete results in this direction.

Canik will showcase its Canik M3 machine gun, which made its international debut at the MSPO 2023 fair in Poland at DSEI. Earlier this year, Canik bought the British defense company AEI Systems.

The company hopes to increase its exports with new deals sealed at the international fairs, said Utku Aral, Canik’s general manager.

“With new orders, we aim to increase our exports above $400 per kilogram,” he added.

The Turkish defense industry has been trying to position itself as a major player in the global market.

The defense and aeronautics sector’s export revenues climbed to $4.4 billion last year from $3.22 billion in 2021. The industry’s exports stood at only $248 million in 2002.

Turnover, which was $1.1 billion two decades ago, grew from $10.2 billion in 2021 to $12.2 billion in 2022.