Ankara capitalises on Gulf insecurity and US supply backlogs to cement its role as a major regional defence partner
As conflict reshapes the security calculus of the Middle East, Turkey is quietly positioning itself as the region's go-to arms supplier — transforming instability into a strategic and commercial windfall.
Writing from Ankara for Middle East Eye, correspondent Ragip Soylu reports that Gulf and Arab states are increasingly turning to Turkish defence manufacturers as Washington's delivery pipelines for Patriot and THAAD systems remain backed up for years.
The catalyst is stark: since the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran erupted in late February, Gulf states — Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia — have found themselves under mounting pressure. Iranian long-range drones have successfully destroyed several radar installations across the region, exposing critical gaps in their air defence architecture that existing systems were not designed to fill.
Ankara moved swiftly to exploit that gap. The recently concluded Saha Expo defence fair in Istanbul became a showcase for Turkey's ambitions, drawing senior Gulf delegations and generating a flurry of deals. Kuwait's Defence Minister Sheikh Abdullah Ali Abdullah Al Sabah signed a government-to-government sales protocol covering systems from Aselsan, Havelsan, drone-maker Baykar, armoured vehicle producer Otokar and Yonca Shipyard. Saudi Arabia and Qatar, meanwhile, are reported to have signed contracts for Aselsan's Korkut 100/25 anti-drone system, designed to neutralise first-person-view and tethered drones with 25-millimetre smart munitions.
Even traditionally neutral Oman is reportedly enquiring about Turkish systems. "The Gulf nations are on a buying spree, and they are even enquiring about systems already in use by military forces in the region," one source familiar with Gulf thinking told Soylu.
Iraq, too, is finalising a purchase of 20 Turkish air defence systems, according to that country's deputy army chief of staff for operations, Lieutenant General Saad Harbiye.
Turkey's pitch is simple but powerful: comparable delivery timelines to American suppliers, but with the added incentive of localisation deals and joint development options. "They can buy Turkish systems within a similar timeframe, with a potential option for localisation and joint development if the conditions are right," a Turkish defence industry insider told Middle East Eye. "And they increasingly recognise that it is a better offer".
The strategy does have limits. Turkey cannot yet credibly offer ballistic missile interception — the Siper long-range system is still four to five years from being ready for regional deployment. But Ankara is betting that Gulf buyers, frustrated with American backlogs and shaken by Iranian drone capabilities, will see Turkey not merely as a stopgap, but as a long-term partner in a region that is rapidly rearming.