Istanbul: The 17th International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF 2025), one of the world’s premier defence exhibitions, was held under the auspices of the Presidency of the Republic of Trkiye, hosted by the Turkish Ministry of National Defence, and organized by the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation (TAFF). This prestigious event provided a global platform for showcasing cutting-edge defence technologies and fostering international collaboration in the defence sector.

According to Ministry of Defence – Sri Lanka, IDEF 2025 took place from 22 to 27 July at the Istanbul Expo Centre, where the Deputy Minister of Defence, Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd) undertook an official visit to the Republic of Trkiye at the invitation of Mr. Bilal Durdali, the Deputy Minister of National Defence of Trkiye.

During his visit, Major General Jayasekara (Retd) engaged in discussions with several senior defence officials from Trkiye. Notable among them were Deputy Ministers of National Defence Mr. Bilal Durdali and Mr. Musa Heyb
et, Commander of the Turkish Land Forces General Selçuk Bayraktaroglu, Commander of the Naval Forces Admiral Ercment Tatlioglu, and Commander of the Air Force, Air General Ziya Cemal Kadioglu.

The bilateral discussions focused on exploring avenues to enhance defence cooperation between Sri Lanka and Trkiye. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening mutual ties through cooperative initiatives.