Istanbul – Gen. Saddam Haftar, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Libyan Armed Forces, participated in the SAHA 2026 Defense, Aviation, and Space Industry Fair. He led a delegation from the General Command. The event took place in Istanbul, Turkey. Haftar’s participation followed an official invitation from the Turkish side.
Haftar and his accompanying delegation toured the exhibition halls. This tour included several participating company pavilions. They reviewed the latest advanced military systems and technologies. These covered armament, aviation, and defense systems. This information comes from the General Command’s media office.
Gen. Haftar met with Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler. He also met with Gen. Selçuk Bayraktar, Chief of the Turkish General Staff. Haftar held meetings with various other senior military and security officials. Discussions focused on issues of common interest. They explored ways to enhance military and defense cooperation.
Haluk Bayraktar, CEO of Turkish defense company Baykar, presented a model to Haftar. The model was for the Kızılelma (“Red Apple”) semi-stealth combat drone. This drone is expected to officially enter service this year. The presentation sparked speculation about its potential acquisition. Previous reports indicated Libya acquired earlier Baykar models. These included the Bayraktar and Akıncı drones.
Haftar also attended the SAHA 2026 defense fair’s opening ceremony in Istanbul. He was present alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Several regional defense ministers and executives of major defense companies also attended. On the sidelines of the fair, Minister Güler met Haftar. He also met Abdul Salam Al-Zoubi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Defense in the Dbeibah government. These were part of various meetings held by the Turkish minister.