The executives of the Internal Security Equipment Fair (IGEF), which will be held in Ankara between September 18-20, 2025, came together with members of the press at a meeting held at the Gendarmerie Public Security Foundation in Ankara.
At the press conference, it was reported that a decision was taken to institutionalize and make the IGEF Homeland Security Equipment Fair, which was organized for the first time in 2024 under the auspices of the Ministry of Interior, permanent.
At the meeting, Zeki Erdoğan, Chairman of the Board of Expolink Fuarcılık, emphasized that Turkey has strong fairs in the field of defense industry, and noted that there is a lack of fairs for internal security, and that they want to complete this with İGEF.
Emphasizing that the buyers in the field of security are different from those in the general defence industry and that a fair in Ankara would be more appropriate due to the public-dominated structure, Erdoğan stated that they are not an alternative to other fairs in the defence industry and that they want to complete a missing piece in terms of fair organization in the field of security.
Cafer Sayılır, President of the Association of Weapon Industrialists and Explosive Materials Businessmen, said the following at the meeting: “We represent the private sector of the Internal Security Equipment Fair. All arms and ammunition manufacturers in Turkey are members of our association. Of course, since we are the private sector, all companies that play an active role in the defense industry, which has developed especially in recent years, are within our association. This Homeland Security Equipment Fair, which we started together with Mr. Zeki, was organized for the first time this year, in September. It was very successful. We were expecting international participation, and so it was. Of course, our sector is used to these fairs. We also participate in fairs abroad all the time. There is something like this in fairs abroad: When we look at the big developed countries, there are always three-legged fairs organized in countries such as America, France, Germany and Italy. What are these? Defense industry, internal security fair, hunting and nature sports fair. These are fairs that complement each other. Why is that? If we go from the bottom upwards? First, recognizing weapons and ammunition. Then internal security; for the peace and security of the country. And then the defense industry, a sector that develops to protect the country against attacks from abroad. Of course, we were doing these things properly, but our internal security fair was missing in Turkey. With the support of Mr. Zeki and Expolink Fuarcılık, it was held for the first time this year and we think it was very successful. We had guests coming from abroad and they liked it very much. I would like to inform you that it will be continued and that there will be a fair with more participants in the coming years and that as an association we will support this fair forever.”
Zeki Erdoğan, Chairman of the Board of Expolink Fuarcılık, pointed out that they organized the İGEF exhibition to contribute to the defence industry and Turkey, and said that they came together to receive the suggestions of the defence industry press for future exhibitions.
E. Colonel Atilla Önal, Deputy Director General of the Gendarmerie Public Security Foundation, said that İGEF’24 was a good event, that the participation was not at the level they expected due to the fact that it was organized in a very short time, but that the guests from abroad were satisfied and that they aim to make the next fairs with wider participation and more comprehensive.
IGEF 2024
While 72 companies participated in the Internal Security Equipment Fair IGEF 2024, which was organized comprehensively for the first time in the field of internal security equipment, weapons, ammunition, tools, equipment, software, cameras, security technologies and services, cyber security and private security, more than 12 thousand visitors were reached. From abroad, 282 foreign participants from 25 countries were hosted as purchasing delegations. For IGEF 2025, for which preparations have started, Internal security bureaucrats, procurement delegations and officials from 83 countries were officially invited. More than 200 exhibitors and nearly 20 thousand visitors are expected at IGEF 2025, which will take place at Ankara ATO Fair and Congress Center on September 18-20, 2025. The fair, which will be organized under the auspices of the Ministry of Interior and supported by prominent institutions, is on its way to becoming an international platform where professionals who want to establish business contacts around the world meet.
