IDEF 2025 to Open Its Doors on July 22-27 with New Exhibition Areas and Concepts
The introductory meeting for the 17th edition of the IDEF 2025 International Defense Industry Fair, scheduled for next year, was held at the Istanbul Expo Center. The meeting was attended by General Metin GÜRAK, Chief of General Staff; Prof. Haluk GÖRGÜN, President of the Defence Industry Agency; Bilal TOPÇU, General Manager of the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation (TAFF); and İbrahim BURKAY, Chairman of the Board of KFA Fairs and the Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BTSO). The innovations and new concepts to be featured at IDEF 2025 were explained during the meeting.
In his speech, Bilal TOPÇU, General Manager of TAFF, stated that IDEF 2025, organized by KFA Fairs and the Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, will be held simultaneously at four different locations from July 22-27, 2025: the Istanbul Expo Center, Atatürk Airport, WOW Istanbul Hotel Congress Center, and Ataköy Marina Area.
TOPÇU stated that the Istanbul Expo Center, which comprises 11 halls with a total indoor area of 96,000 m², will host IDEF 2025. He explained that one of the innovations at IDEF 2025 will be the division of these halls into focused areas, such as an electronic systems hall, a ground vehicles hall, and an aerospace systems hall. Another innovation in the exhibition area is that, unlike in previous years when TAFF companies like ASELSAN, ROKETSAN, HAVELSAN, TUSAŞ, İŞBİR, and ASPİLSAN were grouped together in a single hall, each company will now be located in separate halls at IDEF 2025. At the second location, Atatürk Airport, Terminal C—which has an indoor area of 11,000 m²—will feature booths and a VIP Lounge for hosting delegations. The outdoor area in front of the terminal will include static exhibition areas, tracks for experiencing ground vehicles, as well as spaces for parades and aircraft demonstrations. TOPÇU also mentioned that the opening ceremony will take place at this location. Stating that most of the invitations, reception dinners, and events are planned to be held at the WOW Convention Center, TOPÇU also outlined the activities planned for Ataköy Marina: “With the support of the Coast Guard Command and the resources of Ataköy Marina, we will exhibit our smaller ships in the Mega Yacht Harbor, while our larger ships will be stationed offshore, with boat transportation provided for visits. The benefit is that it’s very close to the fairground—just 10-12 minutes away by car. We hope to host our foreign delegations there, and we believe we’ll have the opportunity to perform demonstrations and showcase unmanned naval vehicles—we’ve even discussed this with our Coast Guard Commander. Our work on this continues.”
TOPÇU stated that they have introduced trend and promotion areas as another innovation in the exhibition area: “‘Defense Trends’ is a new area we’ve established apart from the company booths in the exhibition. Our companies can apply to showcase their new technologies and products here. Together with a selection committee, we will choose the products to be featured in this area, where the latest innovations of that year’s IDEF will be exhibited. Another innovation is the 'Launch Point' product promotion areas. We believe this area will be very impressive. Why? Because while many companies have new products to showcase at IDEF, not everyone’s exhibition booth is equipped for these launches. So, we decided to create dedicated spaces here, where we’ll provide all the necessary infrastructure and facilities—from screens to rotating platforms, production services for live broadcasting, sound systems, and displays. Our companies will be able to introduce their new products here. Additionally, these product launches will be broadcast live on idef.com.tr and our social media accounts, highlighting the innovations and new introductions at IDEF.”
TOPÇU stated that HAVELSAN developed the software that manages all the processes of the fair and also discussed their new projects for IDEF 2025. He mentioned that they intend to welcome young people to IDEF 2025 through the 'Defenders of Tomorrow' program, which is aimed at start-up companies and young innovators. TOPÇU explained that they plan to provide booths at the next IDEF for these young participants to showcase their projects, with the booths allocated based on scores given by attendees. He also outlined plans to offer incentive awards to universities.
İbrahim BURKAY, Chairman of the Board of Directors of KFA Fairs and the Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, stated that the Chamber has implemented many strategic initiatives and projects that align with the country's goals, such as the Bursa Aerospace and Defense Cluster (BASDEC). He noted that over 140 companies within BASDEC are currently developing new and indigenous projects in the Turkish defense and aerospace sector, with support from the Defense Industry Agency, in line with national objectives. BURKAY also highlighted that KFA Fairs has successfully organized numerous high-quality international events, and added: “Our company, KFA Fairs, operates with both the public interest and private sector efficiency in mind, mobilizing all its resources to advance our industries. Our greatest ambition is to replicate the successes we’ve achieved in other sectors with the IDEF Fair. Since the project's inception, we have worked in close harmony and cooperation with the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation on the IDEF Fair.”
In his speech at the meeting, Prof. Haluk GÖRGÜN, President of the Defense Industry Agency, stated that extending the fair's duration from four to six days aims to allow participating companies and delegations more time for business meetings, increase visitor numbers, hold more signing ceremonies, and give citizens the opportunity to register in advance to see domestic and national products on this professional, international platform. GÖRGÜN expressed his goals and expectations for IDEF 2025 as follows: “The international profile of IDEF, one of the most important defense industry fairs in the world, continues to grow with each event. We anticipate even more diverse national participation in IDEF 2025 compared to the previous fair and expect the International Defense Industry Fair IDEF 2025 to reach new heights in international quality. As in past IDEF Fairs, next year’s exhibition will feature state-of-the-art platforms and systems from both Turkish defense industry companies and global firms. Numerous contracts will be signed, and the foundations of new collaborations will be laid. At IDEF 2025, we aim to set a historic record in terms of visitors, delegations, exhibitors, and signing ceremonies, while combining our experience and achievements with our new concept.”
In his speech at the introductory meeting, General Metin GÜRAK, Chief of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces, emphasized that global innovations are constantly reshaping threats, making it essential for the defense industry to continuously renew and develop itself. GÜRAK highlighted the close cooperation between the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) and the defense industry, stating: “The Turkish Armed Forces and our defense industry companies are currently working in close collaboration. The dedicated engineers and employees of the defense industry join us in challenging weather and terrain conditions to develop the products that the Turkish Armed Forces need, and this cooperation is yielding successful results. As the Turkish Armed Forces, we have confidence in our workforce, our potential, and the defense industry companies that will transform this potential into strength.” Referring to the significance of the IDEF Fair, GÜRAK expressed his belief that IDEF, the largest defense industry fair in the region, which grows and evolves each year, will see a significant increase in participants with its new concept
