Minister Kacır at SAHA 2026: SME credit ceiling for defence suppliers raised from TL 20 million to TL 30 million
Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır announced at the SAHA 2026 International Defence, Aerospace and Space Industry Fair, held at the Istanbul Expo Centre, that KOSGEB will open a dedicated window within its Capacity Development Programme for SMEs serving the defence, aerospace and space ecosystem. The credit ceiling for eligible SME applicants will rise from TL 20 million to TL 30 million, a 50 percent increase in the maximum facility size.
Kacır said the dedicated window will cover SMEs operating within the ecosystems of HAB, SAHA Istanbul, Turkish Technic, TÜRKSAT AŞ, the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation, the Turkish Space Agency and the Presidency of Defence Industries. Companies that act as project executors or suppliers for these prime institutions will receive priority access. The existing support package offers a six-month grace period, 36-month maturity and 20-point financing support on the loans.
In his speech, Kacır stressed that the Turkish defence ecosystem extends well beyond top-tier primes such as ASELSAN, TUSAŞ, ROKETSAN, Baykar and MKE. He said the cluster includes roughly 4,000 SMEs, technology start-ups, universities, research centres and institutes, describing the structure as a distributed innovation network that has produced platforms of global scale. The aim of the new window, he added, is to scale up the capacity of mid-tier producers within this ecosystem in line with localisation targets.
From a supply chain perspective, the Turkish defence, aerospace and space sector is built on roughly 4,000 SME suppliers, and access to capital is critical for sustaining local content ratios. A 50 percent rise in the credit ceiling makes it easier for mid-tier suppliers producing more complex sub-systems to invest in capacity and to support the order cycles of prime contractors. Against the backdrop of the Türksat 6A and the upcoming Türksat 7A satellite programmes and rising export targets, the KOSGEB support architecture is positioned as a strategic instrument for deepening the local supplier pool.
Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu also attended the signing ceremony. KOSGEB will publish the detailed implementation calendar and application criteria in the coming period. Türkiye recorded 2.87 billion US dollars in defence and aerospace exports in January-April 2026; financing and export agreements unveiled during SAHA 2026 are being framed as support for the defence supply chain growth targets.
Key Takeaways:
1. Minister Kacır announced at SAHA 2026 that KOSGEB will open a dedicated Capacity Development Programme window for defence, aerospace and space supplier SMEs.
2. The credit ceiling for eligible SME applicants is being raised from TL 20 million to TL 30 million, with the existing 6-month grace period, 36-month maturity and 20-point financing support retained.
3. The new window covers SMEs operating within the ecosystems of HAB, SAHA Istanbul, Turkish Technic, TÜRKSAT, the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation, the Turkish Space Agency and the Presidency of Defence Industries.
4. The Turkish defence industry rests on roughly 4,000 SMEs; a 50 percent ceiling increase is positioned as a strategic instrument for sustaining local content ratios and scaling supplier capacity.
5. Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu attended the signing ceremony; KOSGEB will publish the detailed implementation calendar and application criteria in the coming period.
