ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey's International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF) used to be a platform for foreign manufacturers to showcase their weapon systems.
The Turks examined them and contracts often followed. But at IDEF 2013, was a venue where Turkish firms exhibited their indigenous systems, so far with little or no success, to secure foreign deals. At this month's IDEF, they'll try again at a show that will see more Turkish systems and further ambitions to export them.
Turkish officials and analysts say this year's show will feature "a more mature" Turkish industry eager to sell more and to sign up partnerships rather than off-the-shelf acquisitions.
IDEF '15 in Istanbul will bring together more than 400 companies from 32 countries on May 5-8. Those numbers compare with nearly 800 companies from 51 countries at IDEF '13.
"Turkey's procurement bureaucracy and industry will be struggling hard to not buy but to sell or partner with [foreign companies], in view of long-term alliances aimed at third-country markets," a senior IDEF official said. "Turkish companies will exhibit both new products and relatively more mature versions of what they exhibited two years ago."
A procurement official said that the event may see an official announcement on a roadmap for the design, development and production of a regional jet that will have both civilian and military use.
Turkey's top procurement panel, the Defense Industry Executive Committee, chaired by Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, convened April 27 and approved gave go-ahead to the indigenous regional jet program. The planned aircraft will be based on a Dornier model if negotiations succeed.
Turkey hopes to build the Dornier jet-based aircraft for military missions in the Air Force and the Navy. Hundreds of aircraft will be produced for aerial, border and naval surveillance, small cargo transport and ambulance missions.
During the show, procurement officials also may announce their plans to proceed to the second phase of the country's ambitious indigenous fighter jet program. The Turkish government plans to allocate up to $1 billion for the second phase. Turkey wants to fly its national fighter jet by 2023.
Industry executives said IDEF '15 also will see new land systems showcased, including wheeled and tracked armored vehicles and integrated turret systems.
"Land systems will have a prominence during this year's show," a source said.
A smart ammunitions deal aiming at sales to third markets is in the pipeline, they said, involving Turkey's state-controlled ammunitions maker MKEK and a German manufacturer.
"From the Turkish viewpoint, the event is a major opportunity to secure export contracts," another procurement official said. "There will be several different systems [which] we hope will lure customers primarily from Turkey's regional vicinity."
Turkey has high hopes to market its locally made drones, a basic trainer aircraft, rockets, naval platforms and an attack helicopter it co-produces with Italian-British company AgustaWestland, part of Finmeccanica.
Turkey's defense exports reached an all-time high of $1.6 billion in 2014, an increase of 18.7 percent from the previous year.
Turkey targets $2 billion in exports this year and an ambitious $25 billion in 2023, although analysts and industry view this as an unrealistic target.
Email: bbekdil@defensenews.com
Burak Ege Bekdil was the Turkey correspondent for Defense News.
