Turkish defense firms see hundreds of visitors at Pakistan fair

Hundreds of local and foreign delegates and visitors browsed Turkish companies’ stalls on the second day of a major defense fair being held in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi on Wednesday.

Some 28 of Türkiye’s top defense manufacturers are showcasing their military hardware at the four-day fair that began on Tuesday.

They include prominent developers STM, Roketson, Meteksan, ASFAD, MKE, Tualcom and others.

Nearly 300 international defense manufacturers from 32 countries, along with over 260 delegates from 64 countries, are taking part in the defense exhibition, a leading defense expo in South Asia.

The biennial event billed as “IDEAS 2022,” is taking place after a gap of four years as the 2020 fair could not take place due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Alongside China, Türkiye has the largest representation at the fair.

Kamran Tessori, the governor of southern Sindh province, of which Karachi is the capital, and Maj. Gen. Arif Malik, the director general of the country’s defense exports promotion authority, also paid a visit to the Turkish pavilion.

Tessori, who expressed interest in Turkish defense products during his visit, said he hoped that Ankara’s “huge” participation in the fair would open up new avenues for mutual cooperation in the defense and security sectors.

Mini drones attract visitors

Turkish defense companies are displaying a wide range of products, from military hardware to tactical mini-unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), light weaponry, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity solutions.

The mini drones at STM’s pavilion, however, remained the center of attraction.

“We have never seen (military) drones from such a close range before. They are simply impressive,” Arif Jameel, a retired government official who visited the Turkish pavilion with family, told Anadolu Agency (AA).

“And I have never seen such huge drones before,” said his wife in a lighter tone as an STM official briefed a group of Pakistan Army officers on the technology and operation of drones.

A variety of “superior arms” such as the handguns, light and heavy machine guns, and specialized apparel produced by Canik also attracted a fair number of visitors.

Ahmet Salih Erdem, a deputy general manager of Tualcom Elektronik, which deals with communication and RF technologies, said his company has received a “positive” response from both local and foreign delegates.

Erdem told AA that his company is exhibiting several cutting-edge defense products, including the world’s smallest anti-jamming CNSS System, telemetry, flight termination and electronic warfare (EW)-related products.

Can Gürsoy, an official of Meteksan – one the largest defense industry companies in Türkiye – told AA that local and foreign visitors have shown interest in the company’s products, particularly its radar systems, perimeter surveillance systems, laser and electro-optic systems, and communication systems.

The company also develops underwater acoustic systems and simulators, he added.