Türkiye and Saudi Arabia are set to deepen defence industry cooperation Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said highlighting growing interest in Türkiye’s domestically developed stealth fighter jet KAAN.
Speaking to reporters after visits to Saudi Arabia and Egypt, Erdogan said the KAAN project has received strong international interest, adding that joint investment with Saudi Arabia is already in place and could be implemented at any time. He described the aircraft as a symbol of Türkiye’s independent defence capability with prototype flights expected this summer.
During talks in Riyadh, Ankara and Riyadh signed what Erdogan called major defence cooperation agreements reflecting expanding collaboration in military technology and joint production. He stressed that Türkiye remains focused on meeting its own defence needs while also supporting allied nations.
Beyond defence Erdogan said economic and energy cooperation featured prominently in discussions. Bilateral trade between Türkiye and Saudi Arabia reached around $8 billion in 2025 while Turkish contractors have completed hundreds of projects in the kingdom worth nearly $30 billion.
Energy cooperation also advanced with an agreement for Saudi firms to invest in large scale renewable energy projects in Türkiye including solar and wind plants totaling 5,000 megawatts.
Erdogan described his meetings with Saudi and Egyptian leaders as highly productive underscoring Türkiye’s commitment to regional stability diplomacy and expanded economic partnerships.
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