ANKARA — Turkey and Saudi Arabia signed a deal on Monday laying the groundwork for joint production of Turkey’s Gokbey utility helicopter, the latest sign of rapidly developing defense cooperation after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to the kingdom last week.
What's in the deal: The memorandum of understanding was signed on the sidelines of the World Defense Show 2026 in Riyadh between Turkish Aerospace Industries and Saudi Arabia’s Investment Ministry as well as its General Authority for Military Industries, Turkey’s state broadcaster TRT reported.
The deal envisions long-term high-tech cooperation, with Riyadh defining the requirements for its future military and civilian helicopter fleet and TAI expected to partner with a local manufacturer to produce aircraft in Saudi Arabia, TRT said. The scope, production model and quantities will be determined by Saudi demand.
Gokbey is Turkey’s indigenous twin-engine general-purpose helicopter, developed over the past decade to meet both military and civilian needs. Designed for troop transport, logistics, medical evacuation and offshore operations, it is intended to replace aging helicopters in Turkey’s inventory and reduce dependence on foreign suppliers.
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