The war in Iran has accelerated demand across Arab states for short-range and counter-drone air defense systems, creating new openings for Turkey’s defense industry in regional markets. For Ankara, the opening is not about replacing US-made Patriot or THAAD batteries, but about supplying the lower-cost layers of Arab air defenses.

The challenge, however, is whether Turkey can turn early interest in systems such as Korkut into a lasting foothold in the regional air defense market before Gulf buyers move toward South Korean or European alternatives.

Earlier this month Turkey hosted a range of high-level Gulf officials, who discussed defense cooperation with their Turkish counterparts. Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan and UAE Vice President Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan paid visits to Turkey, where they met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. 

The diplomatic traffic followed a major showcase of Turkey’s defense industry earlier in May, when Gulf and other Arab delegations attended the SAHA 2026 International Defense and Aerospace Exhibition in Istanbul. The arms fair, one of Turkey’s largest, brought together delegations from more than 120 countries and produced contracts worth around $8 billion, according to Erdogan.