SEDEC 2026: Homeland and Border Security Meet in Ankara

This autumn the security and defence sector is heading to Ankara: SEDEC MEET 2026 takes place on 1–3 December 2026 at the InterContinental Grand Ankara. The event focuses on homeland and border security and brings procurement authorities, prime contractors, SMEs and international delegations together for three days. In this article we look at what SEDEC is, why it is getting more attention this year, and how participating companies can make the most of those three days.

What is SEDEC?

SEDEC is a security and defence event held in Ankara every two years since 2018. The organisers describe it as Türkiye’s first and only event dedicated specifically to homeland and border security. It is a specialised fair held under the supervision of TOBB, the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye, and details of the 2026 programme were announced at a press meeting at Teknopark Ankara on 21 July 2026.

In the words of Hilal Ünal Türkan, Chair of the SEDEC Organising Committee, SEDEC is not a classic defence industry fair: it focuses on homeland, border and internal security systems. One of its aims is to bring more SMEs into the sector and increase the share of domestic production.

SEDEC 2026 at a glance

• Dates: 1–3 December 2026
• Venue: InterContinental Grand Ankara
• 2026 supporters: the Turkish Ministry of National Defence, the Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB), the Defence and Aerospace Industry Exporters’ Association (SSI), the Ankara Chamber of Commerce (ATO), the Defence and Aerospace Industry Manufacturers Association (SASAD), Teknopark Ankara and the Teknokent Aviation, Space and Security Cluster Association (TSSK)
• Format: a conference, an exhibition and pre-arranged B2B (business-to-business) and B2G (business-to-government) meetings
• Who it is for: public and military institutions, prime contractors, SMEs and suppliers, clusters, and chambers of industry and commerce

The official website describes the bilateral meetings as a purely business-focused platform where requirement and procurement authorities, purchasing staff and manufacturers meet one-on-one with people and companies they selected in advance. Authorities such as the SSB, the General Directorate of Security, the Land, Air and Naval Forces and the Gendarmerie connect directly with manufacturers here.

According to press reports, the organisers aim to connect procurement authorities from more than 60 countries with Turkish companies.

Why it is getting more attention this year

Timing plays a role. SEDEC MEET 2026 follows the NATO Summit held in Ankara on 7–8 July 2026, and the organisers position it as the strategic and industrial follow-up to the summit. Also on the agenda are the European Union’s SAFE instrument, which offers up to EUR 150 billion in long-term financing, and Türkiye’s National Technology Initiative.

The conference topics in the official programme are:

• Homeland security strategies and critical infrastructure protection
• Border security technologies and integrated surveillance systems
• Defence industry supply chains and localisation strategies
• AI-supported security systems
• Autonomous security solutions and smart sensor technologies
• Cyber security in the defence industry
• Secure communications and command and control systems
• UAV and counter-UAV technologies
• Defence procurement, international cooperation and industrial partnerships
• Export opportunities in global defence markets
• Dual-use technologies and future defence systems

The exhibition covers a wide range of products, from weapon systems and border control to unmanned systems, personal protective equipment, surveillance and communication systems, access control, detectors, and optics and optronics.

Figures and names from previous editions

The previous two editions show how much weight SEDEC carries in the sector.

SEDEC 2022 (28–30 June 2022, ATO Congresium): 186 companies and institutions from 51 countries, 5,800 planned meetings and 4,390 visitors excluding protocol. The platinum sponsors were ASELSAN and ASFAT, the gold sponsor was HAVELSAN, and MKE, STM, ULAK, DEARSAN and GGTEK were among the bronze sponsors. TÜRKSAT was communication sponsor, Tawazun conference sponsor and Telespazio event bag sponsor. Participants also included TUSAŞ (Turkish Aerospace), ROKETSAN, ASPİLSAN and Airbus.

SEDEC 2024 (21–23 May 2024, ATO Congresium): according to the organisers, around 182 companies and institutions from 54 countries, nearly 6,000 pre-arranged B2B and B2G meetings and 4,750 registered entries. The event was open only to sector professionals and end-user authorities. In the workshops, TÜBİTAK shared information on international cooperation and EU support, Airbus presented its technology, and Türk Telekom Ventures sponsored the startup-investor workshop. SEDEC’s official website lists ASELSAN, HAVELSAN, ROKETSAN, STM, BİTES, CANİK, TÜRKSAT, SSTEK, Koluman and TİTRA among the 2024 supporters and sponsors.

The 2026 sponsor and participant lists have not been announced yet, but this gives a good idea of who you will share the room with.

Five communication tips for participating companies

Much of SEDEC’s value lies in the pre-arranged meetings: short, intense conversations with little chance of a second try. Based on our experience at defence and technology fairs, these are the points that make the biggest difference during preparation:

1. Prepare a one-sentence value proposition. The person in front of you may represent a procurement authority or a prime contractor. You should be able to explain which operational need your product solves within the first 30 seconds.
2. Keep your technical data sheet current and in English. In meetings with international delegations, the two-page document you leave on the table is the only thing that represents you after the meeting.
3. Decide early what you can and cannot share. In defence communication, deciding in advance what you will show builds trust and removes hesitation during the conversation.
4. Review your digital presence before the meetings. Most of the people you meet will look you up online just before or right after the meeting. Your website, LinkedIn page and references should tell the same story.
5. Plan your follow-up before the event. Dozens of meetings take place in three days. If you know who you will contact, when and with which material after each meeting, conversations that start at SEDEC have a real chance of turning into cooperation.

Edda and the defence sector

At Edda we work closely with defence and technology brands on their communication. This year we were at Eurosatory 2026 in Paris. We have also attended Saha Expo with our clients and ran the “Make Your Brand Visible” webinar for entrepreneurs at Teknopark Ankara, one of the supporters of SEDEC 2026.

If your company is taking part in SEDEC and wants to prepare its meetings on the brand, presentation and digital communication side, we would be glad to talk: info@eddacreative.com

Sources

• SEDEC official website
• Defence Turkey: SEDEC MEET 2026 to Bring Homeland and Border Security Stakeholders Together in Ankara
• Milliyet: Yerlileşme oranı KOBİ ile artacak (Turkish)
• Defence Turkey: SEDEC Homeland Border Security Event Held for the Third Time in Ankara
• Haber.aero: SEDEC 2024