The ongoing Iran conflict has sharply increased demand among Arab states for short-range and drone-resistant air defense systems, creating fresh opportunities for Turkey’s growing defense industry in the regional market.
Rather than replacing expensive US-made Patriot or THAAD batteries, Ankara is positioning itself as a supplier of lower-cost layers of air defense capable of countering swarms of drones and short-range missile attacks.
Earlier this month, several senior Gulf officials visited Turkey for talks on defense cooperation. Among them were Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, and UAE Vice President Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
The diplomatic activity followed the SAHA 2026 International Defense and Aerospace Exhibition in Istanbul earlier this month, where delegations from more than 120 countries participated. Erdoğan said the exhibition generated nearly $8 billion worth of defense agreements.
Recent Iranian missile and drone attacks have exposed a major vulnerability in Gulf states’ defense systems: even advanced and costly Western-made systems struggle to stop large-scale assaults involving cheap drones and missiles.
Gokhan Ereli, a researcher at Ibn Haldun University’s Center for Gulf Studies and Global Policy, said Gulf countries and Iraq are no longer satisfied relying on a single security provider such as the United States.
“They are actively diversifying both their defense partnerships and procurement strategies, much like they diversify their economic portfolios,” he said.
Iraq has already moved in that direction. Baghdad is reportedly finalizing a deal to purchase 20 Turkish air defense systems from Turkish state-owned defense companies.
Lieutenant General Saad Harbiya, Iraq’s Deputy Army Chief of Staff for Operations, said during the SAHA 2026 exhibition that Iraqi airspace had been “filled with drones” during the Iran conflict. While he declined to reveal details of the agreement, he said Iraq selected Turkish systems because they were “top quality and low cost.”
A Turkish defense industry source, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the deal, said Iraq’s planned purchase includes 20 Korkut air defense units and that the agreement has already been finalized.
Analysts say Turkey has become increasingly attractive because of its rapid delivery timelines, flexible procurement terms, and willingness to offer technology transfers and joint production opportunities.
Unlike many Western suppliers that impose operational restrictions and limit technology sharing, Turkey has signed multiple defense technology transfer agreements with Gulf countries.
In 2023, Saudi Arabia’s state-owned defense firm SAMI signed agreements with Turkish companies Baykar, Aselsan, and Roketsan. The UAE’s EDGE Group also announced 24 framework agreements with Turkish defense firms and later partnered with Baykar to integrate Emirati payloads into Turkish drones.
Turkey’s growing role as a defense supplier is also reflected in global arms export rankings. According to March 2026 data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Turkey ranked as the world’s 11th-largest major arms exporter during 2021–2025.
Pakistan accounted for 16 percent of Turkish arms exports, followed by the UAE with 12 percent and Ukraine with 8.4 percent.
Ali Bakir, a research assistant professor at Qatar University, said Turkey has not yet advanced its air defense systems as rapidly as it has developed drones, fighter aircraft, and armored platforms.
Still, Turkey’s drone industry has transformed rapidly into a major export sector. According to company figures, leading drone manufacturer Baykar increased foreign sales from $360 million in 2020 to $2.2 billion in 2025. After its first drone sale to Qatar in 2018, the company now exports drones to 37 countries.
A Turkish defense source said that if the Iran conflict had occurred closer to 2030, Turkey would likely have showcased not only close-engagement systems like Korkut and ALKA laser weapons, but also advanced missile defense systems such as Hisar and Siper with anti-ballistic capabilities.
