Turkey unveils long-range missile, expands Saudi ties amid Israel’s Syria concern
Turkish influence in the region: Ankara boosts its military power with a hypersonic missile with a range of 6,000 kilometers
In a scene reflecting the multiple directions of Turkish influence, Ankara unveiled a hypersonic ballistic missile named “Yildirim Khan” with a range of up to 6,000 kilometers, while expanding its cooperation with Saudi Arabia through a high-level coordination council, amid growing Israeli concern over the rebuilding of the Syrian army with direct Turkish support.
Turkish missile with 6,000 km range at hypersonic speeds
Turkey unveiled, during the “SAHA 2026” International Defense, Aviation, and Space Industries Fair in Istanbul, a long-range ballistic missile called “Yildirim Khan,” developed by the research center of the Ministry of Defense.
The missile was displayed for the first time at the ministry’s pavilion, with animated simulations showing its range of approximately 6,000 kilometers. It runs on liquid fuel and operates at hypersonic speeds.
The unveiling ceremony was attended by Defense Minister Yasar Guler, Naval Forces Commander Ercument Tatlioglu, and Chief of General Staff Selcuk Bayraktaroglu.
Guler also announced other products, including the “Onur” helicopter engine, the “Gokhan” jet engine, as well as a lightweight weapon with a range of up to 2,100 meters.
Turkey unveils for the first time in its history the Yildirim Khan intercontinental ballistic missile:
Range: 6,000 kilometers
Speed: Mach 9-25
Fuel: Liquid nitrogen tetroxide
Engine: 4 rocket engines pic.twitter.com/PRC9fNtZQk— Samir Alnamri (@sameer_alnamri) May 5, 2026
Turkish-Saudi talks in Ankara
The third meeting of the Turkish-Saudi Coordination Council was held in the Turkish capital Ankara on May 6, co-chaired by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.
An agreement on mutual visa exemption for holders of diplomatic and special passports between the two governments is expected to be signed. The strategic importance of cooperation in connectivity was reaffirmed, along with the importance of enhancing regional ownership to establish lasting security and stability.
Warnings over regional tensions
Turkish diplomatic sources explained that the meeting discussed the need to prevent developments in the Strait of Hormuz from causing new tensions, and reaffirmed the importance of lasting peace in the Washington-Tehran negotiations.
The meeting also stressed the importance of firmly defending the two-state solution, implementing the ceasefire in Gaza, and confronting the illegal actions of Netanyahu’s government in the West Bank.
The meeting discussed developments related to the transition to the second phase of the Gaza peace agreement, in addition to ongoing discussions regarding the work of the Peace Council, and emphasized the need for the international community to take a more decisive deterrent stance against Israel in Lebanon.
It is worth noting that the Turkish-Saudi Coordination Council was established in 2016 under the chairmanship of the two foreign ministers, aiming to follow up on bilateral relations in all their aspects within an institutional framework.
The first meeting was held in Ankara on February 7-8, 2017, and the second meeting in Riyadh on May 18, 2025. The council consists of 5 sub-committees: Political and Diplomatic, Military and Security, Culture, Sports, Media and Tourism, Social Development, Health and Education, and Trade, Industry, Investment, Infrastructure and Energy.
Bilateral trade volume between the two countries reached $8.5 billion by the end of 2025, amid close coordination in multilateral forums.
#Ankara | His Highness the Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince #Faisal_bin_Farhan @FaisalbinFarhan meets with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey, Mr. Hakan Fidan. pic.twitter.com/toOnwXT2CS
— Saudi Foreign Ministry (@KSAMOFA) May 6, 2026
Israeli concern over Turkish support for rebuilding the Syrian army
Israeli newspaper “Maariv” reported that concern prevails in Israel regarding Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa’s decision to rebuild the Syrian army, with support from Turkey and its President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The newspaper added that the pace of reinforcement by the new Syrian regime is very fast and far exceeds expectations, including the rehabilitation of the air force and the construction of heavy fire systems comprising armored vehicles, artillery units, and missiles.
The newspaper points out that Syria is currently classified as a hostile state, with no peace agreement or mutual recognition between Israel and Syria.
Tel Aviv prepares for any scenario
According to “Maariv,” the Israeli defense establishment confirms that “Al-Sharaa’s regime is dangerous and based on an extremist jihadist ideology,” and that he is consolidating his power in Syria and preparing an army.
A military source said: “We do not trust this regime and must view it as an extremely dangerous threat.”
A senior military source added: “The situation remains unclear, and it is unknown where Syria is heading,” pointing out that Syria is seeking to build air defense systems, and that some of the remaining helicopters attempted to fly this week.
The military source expressed Israel’s fear that Sunnis in Lebanon might feel threatened by Hezbollah, and consequently seek help from Al-Sharaa, opening the borders for him and allowing his army to enter Lebanon, a scenario similar to what happened in Lebanon in the 1980s. He explained that the intelligence directorate is closely monitoring what is happening in Syria.
Israeli reinforcements on the border with Syria
“Maariv” reported that the “Bashan Division” is strengthening its defensive operations on the Syrian border, having established a physical barrier and a tightened security zone extending from Mount Hermon along the eastern border, with close monitoring of what is happening on the other side. The Israeli army recently decided to appoint Major General Alian Rasan as coordinator of its operations in the Syrian arena.
Related topics:
Turkish-Syrian military cooperation in EFES 2026 drills
