Syria joins Turkey’s Efes 2026, one of nine nations participating for first time

IZMIR, Turkey — The largest-ever edition of Turkey’s Efes military exercise was notable for the technology showed off, the maneuvers demonstrated, and above all, the participation of nine countries for the first time — including Syria.

The exercise, which took place between April 11 and May 22, mixed land, sea and air assets to run drills both during the day and night at the Doğanbey Training Area in Seferihisar in Izmir. Media were invited to attend for the closing week.

According to a Turkish military official, nine countries participated for the first time: Bulgaria, The Netherlands, Sweden, Japan, Egypt, Poland, Vietnam, Portugal and Syria. While Breaking Defense did not view the Syrian contingent, the official said that a unit of 20 personnel were taking part in the exercises, including an air assault operation and using weapons aboard a Turkish utility helicopter.

Serhat Süha Çubukçuoğlu, an expert at TRENDS Research & Advisory in Abu Dhabi, called the participation “a sign of deepening cooperation” between the two countries. After the Assad regime collapse late 2024, defense experts expected an increase in Turkey’s role to help Syria boost its defense sector, from rebuilding the national armed forces to supplying Damascus with armored vehicles, drones and air defense systems.

50 New Homegrown Systems

Outside of the geopolitical implications, Efes also featured 50 nationally-built systems for the first time in this drill. The new systems include the Korkut very-short-range air defense system (part of the national Steel Dome concept), the Gokbey utility helicopter, mine clearing equipment, the 105 mm Boran Howitzer, an Aslan remote controlled weapon system mounted on an unmanned ground vehicle, a Karaok anti-tank weapon, a Karayel inflatable boat, and a variety of swarming, one-way attack drones.

The systems were put to good use during a series of events viewed by media. Breaking Defense accepted travel and accommodation from a combination of the Turkish Ministry of Defense and Turkish defense firms Havelsan, Aselsan, Roketsan, MKE and Asfat to cover the exercise.

A night operation featured live-fire missions to destroy enemy posts, where the only sound above the chilling night wind was that of munitions and explosions that would light up the ground and skies in a two-hour drill. In one particularly dramatic moment, Turkish helicopters let off flares that lit Izmir’s night sky, just seconds before a 2,000 pound Mk-84 general-purpose bomb shook the ground under reporters’ feet.

A series of drills including search and rescue were conducted during the night exercise, as the Turkish army simulated missions of going behind enemy lines as attacks took place from frigates, F-16 fighter jets and helicopters. The night was dark, but the continuous explosions kept it alive and sparkling. This phase of the exercise was concluded by the red and while lights of the Korkut shooting down a drone.

The day phase of the exercise was no less active and dynamic, as they featured a heavy naval presence. Speed boats raced close to the shore and opened fire on targets to secure the landing for larger vessels, which delivered amphibious armored vehicles and tanks to the shore.

Demining missions were conducted on one side of the exercise area with colorful smoke emphasizing the number of mines neutralized. Tanks opened heavy live fire on enemy posts, then paratroopers were rapidly deployed to the site. Turkish armed forces helicopters including Ataks, AH-1 W Super Cobras, and Chinook CH-47s flew multiple times overhead, while the navy’s S-70 Sea Hawks hovered over the sea searching for submarines with their dipping sonars.

The sails of two Reis-class and Preveze-class submarines could be seen during the day phase of the exercise, while live-fire submarine operations were conducted. The TCG Anadolu was also sailing next to the shore alongside many vessels, including 151 Class landing craft, a Bey Class Landing ship, an Ada-class corvette, a Kilic fast-attack craft, and Sancar and Marlin unmanned surface vessels.

Efes 2026 is “a showcase of Turkey’s burgeoning defense industrial base to attract new customers, build new systems, [and] weapons concepts between air defense, army, and naval units,” Çubukçuoğlu told Breaking Defense, concluding that the exercise shows Turkey “positions itself as a uniquely capable NATO ally with a multitude of capabilities for its allies and friends all around the region.”