Hundreds of local and foreign delegates and visitors thronged Turkish companies’ stalls on the second day of a major defence fair being held in Karachi on Wednesday.
Some 28 of Turkiye's top defence manufacturers are showcasing their military hardware at the four-day fair that began on Tuesday.
They include STM (Savunma Teknolojileri Mühendislik ve Ticaret AS), Roketson, Meteksan, ASFAD, Makin eve Kimya Endustrisim, Tualcom, and others.
Nearly 300 international defence manufacturers from 32 countries, along with over 260 delegates from 64 countries are taking part in the defence exhibition, a leading defence expo in South Asia.
The biennial event IDEAS 2022 is taking place after a gap of four years as the 2020 fair could not take place due to the coronavirus pandemic. Together with China, Turkiye has the largest representation at the fair.
Read more: IDEAS-2022 showcases high-tech weapons
Governor Sindh Kamran Tessori and Major General Arif Malik, the director general of the country's defence exports promotion authority, also paid a visit to the Turkish pavilion.
Tessori, who expressed interest in Turkish defence products during his visit, hoped that Ankara's "huge" participation in the fair would open up new avenues for mutual cooperation in the defence and security sectors.
Mini drones attract visitors
Turkish defence companies are displaying a wide range of products, from military hardware to tactical mini-UAV systems to light weaponry to artificial intelligence and cybersecurity solutions.
Mini drones (mini-UAV systems) at the STM’s pavilion, however, remained the centre of attraction.
“We have never seen (military) drones from such a close range before. They are simply impressive,” Arif Jameel, a retired government official who visited the Turkish pavilion with family, told Anadolu Agency.
“And I have never seen such huge drones before,” his wife, attired in a black gown and matching scarf, said in a lighter tone as an STM official briefed a group of Pakistan Army officers on the technology and operation of drones.
A variety of “superior arms” such as handguns, light and heavy machine guns, and specialised apparels produced by Canik – a group of five defence companies – also attracted a good number of visitors.
Ahmet Salih Erdem, a deputy general manager of Tualcom Elektronik, which deals with communication and RF technologies, said his company has got a “positive” response from both local and foreign delegates.
Erdem told Anadolu Agency that his company is exhibiting several cutting-edge defence products, including the world's smallest anti-jamming CNSS System, telemetry, flight termination, and electronic warfare-related products.
Can Gursoy, an official of Meteksan – one the largest defence industry companies in Turkiye – told Anadolu Agency that local and foreign visitors have shown interest in the company’s products, particularly the radar systems, perimeter surveillance systems, laser and electro-optic systems, and communication systems.
The company also develops underwater acoustic systems and simulators, he added.
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