Attendees of the biennial International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF) can expect to see many brand-new products, including a record number of items made by Turkish companies targeting foreign buyers. The fair, held by the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation and designed for the defense, security, maritime, and air and space industries, will take place in Istanbul on May 9-12. Turkey is the only NATO member to hold a defense industry exhibit in the Middle East.

Defense expert Hakan Kilic told Al-Monitor that in previous years, IDEF events displayed either items co-produced by Turkish companies or products of foreign companies targeting the Turkish market. This year, however, a record number of products made by the Turkish defense industry will be on display.

“For me, the most important development of the fair this year will be that the Turkish Armed Forces [TSK] is no longer the sole potential customer at a fair where 600 companies from 50 countries will be exhibiting,” he said.

The most anticipated projects at this year’s fair will be the KAAN missile system produced by TSK-affiliated Roketsan AS and the TRG-300 (Tiger) Kaplan missiles, which will be shown for the first time. Another system making its debut is the Bora (Turkish for Storm) long-range missile that Turkey is developing by transferring the technology of China's B 61-11-M model. Bora will be Turkey's first missile that can reach beyond 300 kilometers (186 miles).