Turkey’s defense fair to start next week virtually

By Gokhan Ergocun

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkey's largest defense fair SAHA Expo will start next week virtually.

Organized by SAHA Istanbul Defence and Aerospace Cluster Association, the 3D virtual event will be held using the XperEXPO, an application developed by Turkish technology firm BITES, an affiliate of the Turkish defense giant Aselsan.

According to the organizer, it will be the world’s first 3D virtual defense fair.

The first week of the five-month event -- between Nov. 9, 2020 and April 9, 2021 -- will host video conferences with 300 participants.

The event will exhibit several defense products, including Akinci and TB2 unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAV), and Atak helicopter.

As part of the event, firms and officials from several countries will make B2B meetings.

The event was planned to be organized physically in Istanbul on Nov. 9-13, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic the event will be held virtually.

SAHA Istanbul Defence and Aerospace Cluster Association plans to organize the exhibition physically at Istanbul Expo Center on Nov. 10-13 next year.