IDEF

History and origins

IDEF was launched in 1993 as a response to Turkiye's strategic decision to develop an indigenous defence industrial base. Through successive editions the fair tracked and amplified the growth of the Turkish defence sector: from a market almost entirely dependent on licensed imports in the early 1990s to a net exporter of defence products generating over $10 billion in annual exports by 2025. Each biennial IDEF edition has coincided with major Turkish defence industry milestones: new platforms unveiled, export contracts signed, and international co-production agreements formalised.

The Turkish Armed Forces Foundation (TSKGV) assumes management responsibility; KFA Fuarcilik A.S. handles event organisation. The Presidency of Defence Industries of the Republic of Turkiye (SSB) also supports the fair, reflecting the integral role of IDEF in Turkey's national defence export strategy.

The 2025 edition: record-breaking results

IDEF 2025, the 17th edition, was held 22-27 July 2025 at the Istanbul Expo Center and broke all previous records. Participation reached 1,491 companies from 103 countries with 231 official delegations. More than 120,000 visitors attended over six days. Signing ceremonies totalled 270 agreements with a combined commercial value exceeding $9 billion, of which 65% were export-focused. Twenty-six new defence products were unveiled and over 1,100 items were presented for the first time. These figures significantly exceeded the previous record edition (2023: 1,461 companies from 54 countries, 94,198 visitors from 107 countries).

The 2027 edition: 18th IDEF confirmed

The official signing ceremony for IDEF 2027 was held on 20 February 2026. TSKGV General Manager Bilal Topcu stated the aim is "to ensure our domestic and national defence industry reaches a stronger position on a global scale, to increase strategic collaborations, and to support our export targets." The fair will run 3-9 May 2027, a seven-day format consistent with IDEF 2025. The Istanbul Expo Center's modern infrastructure will again serve as the venue. As of 10 June 2026, exhibitor registration and booth allocation details had not yet been announced; the organiser indicated these would be communicated through official channels.

Where IDEF sits in the defence calendar

IDEF is the largest defence fair in the Middle East and Central Asian geography and one of the top five globally by commercial volume. It runs in the first half of odd years (IDEF 2027: May), positioning it between DSEI Arabia (March) and Eurosatory (Paris, biennial June) in the global exhibition cycle. As a biennial in odd years, it does not directly compete with Paris Air Show (odd years, June) on dates but does compete for exhibitor budgets. Its Istanbul location gives it natural access to European, Middle Eastern, Central Asian, and African buyer communities simultaneously.

Who attends IDEF

On the exhibitor side, IDEF is dominated by Turkish defence primes: Roketsan, Aselsan, BMC, Otokar, Havelsan, STM, Baykar, and TUSAS (Turkish Aerospace) are perennial anchor exhibitors with major display areas. International companies including Airbus, Leonardo, Rheinmetall, L3Harris, and others exhibit to maintain market access and industrial partnerships with Turkish counterparts. At IDEF 2025, companies from 103 countries participated.

The 120,000-plus visitors to IDEF 2025 included 231 official delegations representing procurement agencies and armed forces from across Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and Europe. Turkish military procurement officials and senior Ministry of National Defence representatives are institutional fixtures. The seven-day format is partly designed to accommodate the rotation of delegations across different days.

What the IDEF format includes

IDEF occupies multiple halls of the Istanbul Expo Center with a total exhibition footprint running into tens of thousands of square metres. The format includes individual and national-pavilion exhibition stands; an outdoor demonstration area for land vehicles and larger systems; a conference programme with panels on strategic and technological themes; bilateral government meeting rooms enabling G2G procurement dialogues; signing ceremonies for formal agreement announcements; and media facilities for the substantial press contingent that attends. The multi-day format means the first days are typically government and procurement-focused, with later days more open to industry and media.

What IDEF covers

Five core domains: Land Defence and Land Forces equipment; Naval Systems and Maritime Defence; Aviation, Aerospace, and Unmanned Systems; C4ISR, Communication, Cyber, and Electronic Warfare; Transportation, Logistics, and Supply Support. In recent editions, drone and unmanned systems have grown to occupy a significant share of the floor, reflecting the international profile of Turkish UAS programmes including Bayraktar TB2, Akinci, and Kizilelma.

The 2027 edition in numbers (organiser-declared)

The venue: Istanbul Expo Center (IFM)

Istanbul Expo Center (IFM - Istanbul Fuar Merkezi) is located in Yesilkoy, on the European side of Istanbul, at Sehit Ahmet Caddeleri 1, 34149 Bakirkoy. The complex is approximately 2 km from Istanbul Ataturk Airport site and 20 km from Istanbul city centre. It is accessible by metro (M1 line, Yesilkoy station), bus, and taxi. The complex provides approximately 100,000 sq m of indoor exhibition space across 13 halls, plus outdoor demonstration areas, making it one of the largest exhibition venues in Europe. Istanbul Airport (IST) on the northern European side is approximately 45-60 minutes by car; Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW) on the Asian side is approximately 60-90 minutes.

The organiser: KFA Fuarcilik / TSKGV

KFA Fuarcilik A.S. is the event organisation company responsible for the operational management of IDEF. It works under the management authority of TSKGV (Turkish Armed Forces Foundation), which bears strategic and institutional responsibility for the fair. The Ministry of National Defence of the Republic of Turkiye provides the auspices and political framework, and the Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB) provides further institutional support. Together this structure gives IDEF unusually direct access to Turkish state procurement mechanisms and political commitment at ministerial level.

First time at IDEF? How to prepare

• Register and apply for a stand well in advance. IDEF regularly sells out its available space months before opening; once booth allocation is announced (expected late 2026 for IDEF 2027), apply immediately. Prime hall positions near anchor Turkish primes are allocated on a first-come basis.
• Request bilateral government meetings early through official channels. The 231 official delegations at IDEF 2025 were scheduled through formal government-to-government processes; your country's defence attache in Ankara or your national defence industry association can facilitate introductions and meeting slot requests well before the event opens.
• Plan for a seven-day event - not all days are equivalent. The first two days typically involve the highest concentration of VIP, ministerial, and signing ceremony activity; middle days are best for floor-level product meetings; later days attract a wider professional audience. Build your daily schedule around delegation availability.
• Prepare materials covering export compliance and co-production options. Turkish buyers at IDEF are sophisticated procurement professionals who often require technology transfer and local content provisions; having co-production or offset proposals ready accelerates conversations significantly.
• Book accommodation near the venue or on the metro line early. Yesilkoy and Bakirkoy hotel stock fills very quickly; alternatively use the M1 metro line from city-centre hotels in Aksaray or Yenibosna. Istanbul is a large city and traffic unpredictability can add 30-60 minutes to travel times during fair days.