Turkey holds major defense presence at AAD 2026 in South Africa

Turkey has participated in the Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) 2026 exhibition held at the Waterkloof Air Force Base in Pretoria, South Africa. Represented by an official delegation led by Deputy Minister of National Defense Salih Ayhan and coordinated by the Presidency of Defense Industries, Turkey provided the third-largest participation at the event, following only South Africa and China.

The Turkish delegation includes a wide range of private sector companies such as ASELSAN, STM, Makine ve Kimya Endüstrisi (MKE), TUSAŞ, SARSILMAZ, BMC, and HAVELSAN. The Defense and Aerospace Industry Exporters' Association also maintained a presence at the fair.

Turkish Ambassador to Pretoria, Kezban Nilvana Darama Yıldırımgeç, noted that the strong presence reflects Turkey's strategic importance regarding the African continent and South Africa specifically. She highlighted that South Africa's industrial infrastructure and technological ecosystem offer significant opportunities for joint production, localization, and technology development through long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships.