Ankara and Riyadh could pursue a joint investment in Turkey’s development of a 5th-generation warplane called Kaan, a report in Turkey’s Daily Sabah on Thursday said.
The report comes after Turkey’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, led a high-level delegation to Saudi Arabia for meetings. The Turkish leader then went to Egypt.
“Kaan is not just a fighter jet. Kaan is a symbol of Turkey’s engineering capabilities and independent defense will,” Erdogan said.
Over the last few decades, his country has been modernizing its armed forces and building a large domestic defense industry. It has invested heavily in drones, for instance.
Significantly, Turkey is a member of NATO. However, Ankara had angered the US by acquiring Russia’s S-400 system several years ago. This led to a crisis, and Ankara was removed from the F-35 program.
This means Turkey cannot upgrade its air force to 5th-generation capabilities. Instead, it relies on F-16s. There has been discussion with the Trump administration about Turkey acquiring F-35s; however, the road ahead appears difficult.
Bypassing the West
Turkey has therefore sought to develop its own 5th-generation warplane. Daily Sabah said, “Turkey and Saudi Arabia will boost their cooperation in the defense industry, Erdogan said on Thursday during his return flight from Cairo, also suggesting that his country’s homegrown stealth fighter jet Kaan has been praised and that there could be a partnership with Riyadh in this area.”
Saudi Arabia’s role is interesting. Riyadh relies heavily on the US and the West for defense procurement. Saudi Arabia also wants the F-35, and the Trump administration appears keen on a deal. However, there are concerns in Israel about Turkey or Saudi Arabia acquiring the warplane.
There is context here. The UAE also sought F-35s but ultimately passed on them after the Abraham Accords. Instead, the UAE entered into an $18 billion deal, signed in 2021, for 80 Rafale jets and 12 new helicopters.
“We have received a lot of positive feedback on Kaan. There is a joint investment with Saudi Arabia in this area, and we can implement this partnership at any moment,” Erdogan said, according to Anadolu News Agency. This is a state-owned media company; most Turkish media reflect the ruling party’s preferred coverage.
Therefore, these reports are an indication of how much Turkey wants Saudi Arabia to invest. “Kaan is a 5th-generation warplane, developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI). The jet was first publicly unveiled in 2023, before its maiden test flight in early 2024,” Daily Sabah reported.
“Its serial production is expected to begin in 2028,” the report continued. “Last June, the TAI signed an agreement to sell as many as 48 Kaan jets to Indonesia, which would make the Southeast Asian nation the first buyer of the advanced aircraft.”
Based on what both Erdogan himself and this newspaper have said, Saudi Arabia has signed onto “major” defense cooperation deals.
“We have deep-rooted relations with Saudi Arabia that have cultural and historical dimensions. We signed important agreements during this visit to further develop these relations, Erdogan said.
“The progress our country has made in the field of defense industry is being followed with interest by Saudi Arabia, as it is by the whole world,” he went on to say. “We are primarily focused on meeting our own needs in the defense industry.”
“In addition, we also strive to meet the needs of our friends and brothers. We are signing important cooperation agreements with Saudi Arabia in the field of defense industry, and we are determined to develop this further.”
Kaan is a symbol for Turkey. It is part of the global arms race as countries seek to move into the next generation of technology, from drones and loitering munitions to artillery and air defenses.
Israel is the Middle East’s most advanced military power, and its defense companies, such as Elbit Systems, the Israel Aerospace Industries, and Rafael, are world leaders in several defense product categories.
Ankara, which has cold relations with Israel, understands it needs to be able to develop its arms industry independently as well. This comes in the context of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying that Israel will become more like a “Super Sparta” in the region and that it will plow money into its local defense industries.
“We have received much complimentary feedback about Kaan. As we become more influential in this field globally, these kinds of collaborations will certainly increase,” the Turkish leader said.
“The president’s remarks came after a two-day trip, firstly to Saudi Arabia and then Egypt, Ankara’s major regional allies,” Daily Sabah noted.
Calling them “allies” is interesting, given that several years ago, Ankara had rocky relations with both countries. Now the region is changing.
Turkey and Saudi Arabia are currently eyeing significant mutual investments, according to reports. Within one day, “Saudi companies will construct a solar power plant in the provinces of Sivas and Karaman with a total capacity of 2,000 megawatts in the first phase,” Daily Sabah said.
