Two Turkish activists were detained on Friday after staging a protest against the presence of BAE Systems at SAHA Expo, a major defense industry exhibition in İstanbul organized with the support of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s administration and overseen by his in-laws, alleging that the British company provides arms to Israel’s military.
The expo has sparked significant controversy, with a public outcry over BAE Systems’ involvement amid Israel’s year-long military actions in Gaza.
Israel launched a military campaign on the Gaza Strip in retaliation for an unprecedented Hamas incursion on October 7, 2023 that resulted in the death of some 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and the taking of around 250 hostages.
According to the health ministry in Gaza, more than 42,300 people have been killed in Gaza since then, mostly civilians.
Journalist and activist Adem Özköse initiated the protest along with fellow activist Enis Toprak to denounce BAE Systems’ alleged sales of weaponry used by Israel in ongoing operations in Gaza.
Witnesses at the scene reported that Özköse and Toprak voiced strong criticism of BAE Systems, drawing attention to the company’s reported role in supplying equipment for Israeli military campaigns that have led to high civilian casualties, particularly in Gaza.
Security forces intervened shortly after the protest began, removing the activists from the event, with video footage showing what appeared to be a restraint used on Özköse. Social media footage of the detention sparked swift public backlash, with viewers criticizing the physical intervention, describing it as excessive and calling for the activists’ immediate release.
BAE Systems, a British multinational and one of the world’s largest defense contractors, has supplied military technology and arms to various countries, including Israel, which has used these in both defensive and offensive operations.
Its involvement at SAHA Expo has been a focal point of criticism as Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza faces increasing condemnation from international observers and human rights organizations.
Turkey, which officially condemns Israel’s military actions in Gaza, has continued trade relations with Israeli companies despite the high-level diplomatic denunciations.
The protest took place amid intensified criticism in Turkey of government-backed events that host firms linked to the Israeli military.
Critics have pointed to contradictions between the government’s harsh public stance against Israeli military actions and the allowing of arms manufacturers involved in those same actions to participate in Turkish state-sponsored exhibitions.
SAHA Expo, one of Europe’s largest defense and aerospace industry gatherings, is organized by SAHA İstanbul, an association overseen by Haluk Bayraktar, a leading figure in the Turkish defense industry and brother of Erdoğan’s son-in-law Selçuk Bayraktar. The expo attracts significant participation from international defense contractors, including those from the US, Europe and the Middle East, highlighting new technologies in aerospace, cyber and defense capabilities.
This year’s expo garnered particular attention due to the high-profile presence of BAE Systems and amid the violence in Gaza.
Protesters and rights activists argue that the inclusion of BAE Systems in SAHA Expo implicitly condones its role in arming nations that have been condemned for alleged war crimes.
“It is unacceptable that a company linked to the violence in Gaza should be welcomed in Turkey,” Özköse said before his detainment, adding that Turkish officials “cannot condemn Israel’s actions in Gaza while offering a platform for the companies that support them.”
The reaction to the detentions has also raised further debate on Turkey’s policies towards freedom of expression, particularly regarding sensitive geopolitical issues.
Turkey’s defense industry, led by domestic companies like Baykar, which is managed by Erdoğan’s son-in-law Selçuk Bayraktar, has seen rapid expansion in recent years.
According to Haluk Bayraktar, SAHA Expo featured over 1,400 firms from more than 50 countries this year, and the total value of agreements signed during the event reportedly reached $6.2 billion, with around $4.6 billion of that being export contracts.
Turkey’s official stance has been one of strong condemnation of Israel’s military actions in Gaza. Recently, President Erdoğan called for an arms embargo against Israel, aligning with Turkey’s public denunciation of the high civilian death toll in Gaza.
In his statement on Thursday, Erdoğan said Turkey had suspended trade with Israel and would seek international consensus on an arms embargo.
Although the Turkish government announced a halt in exports to Israel in May after a public outcry over Israel’s military actions in Gaza in May, data released by the Turkish Exporters’ Assembly (TIM) show a near cessation of direct exports to Israel but trade with Palestine surging to unprecedented levels, raising questions about whether goods are being rerouted to Israel.
Erdoğan and his government, outspoken critics of the Israeli war on Gaza, are accused of hypocrisy due to Turkey’s continuing trade with Israel despite the harsh rhetoric.