Saudi Defense Minister Khalid Bin Salman paid a visit to Turkish defense companies and state defense officials. Salman said in his X message that;
“During my visit to Turkey, I had the opportunity to see the capabilities of several leading companies in the space and defense industries. I explored their innovative technological projects and latest products, as well as their future plans and strategies.
Additionally, I met with President of the SSB, Dr. Haluk Görgün, and CEOs of major industrial companies to discuss opportunities for defense cooperation in line with Saudi Vision 2030. We also witnessed the signing of several MoUs between Saudi companies and Turkish companies.”
Salman visited Baykar Tech, which will jointly produce drones in Saudi Arabia. The minister also paid a visit to TUSAŞ, Türkiye’s state-owned company producing jets and helicopters. Analysts interpret Salman’s visit to TUSAŞ as Saudi government’s interest in Türkiye’s first indigenous jet KAAN, which will be in the inventory from 2028 onwards.
Assoc. Prof. İbrahim Karataş, editor of Straturka.com and an international relations expert, says minister Salman’s visit is important for collaboration in defense industry. “Türkiye and Saudi Arabia, two brotherly countries, can co-produce advanced weapons like KAAN. While other weapons suppliers put conditions for selling their products, Türkiye will eagerly to co-produce or sell its weapons without any pre-condition”, he adds.
