Elvira Kadyrova, Şanlıurfa, Türkiye
The roar of engines, the thunder of fighter jets, and bustling crowds — Şanlıurfa has taken center stage in Türkiye’s technology agenda. TEKNOFEST 2026 opened its doors on September 30 at GAP Airport…
TEKNOFEST: A National Technological Ecosystem
TEKNOFEST is Türkiye’s largest festival dedicated to aviation, space, and technology, first held in Istanbul in 2018. Over the years, the event has expanded significantly: today, it brings together tech competitions, air shows, exhibitions, educational programs, workshops, simulator and interactive technology zones, as well as concerts and other public events.
The festival is organized under the leadership of the Turkish Technology Team Foundation (T3 Foundation) and the Ministry of Industry and Technology of Türkiye, with the participation of government institutions, the private sector, universities, and other organizations. According to the organizers, the TEKNOFEST ecosystem currently involves 157 organizations, including nine ministries, four presidential offices and agencies, 43 partner organizations, 84 academic partners, and 15 media entities.
Another noteworthy detail: TEKNOFEST is chaired by Selçuk Bayraktar — a household name for anyone following the development of unmanned technologies. He simultaneously leads Baykar and the T3 Foundation. Thus, here at TEKNOFEST, we are witnessing not merely a technology exhibition, but the very ecosystem driving their development and advancement.
Since its inception, TEKNOFEST events have drawn more than 11.5 million visitors, with over 6 million applications submitted for its technology competitions. Over the years, tens of thousands of finalists have competed, with total prize money exceeding $4.5 million, alongside more than $8 million provided in material support.
In 2026, TEKNOFEST is taking place across multiple formats. Following August’s TEKNOFEST “Blue Homeland” (Mavi Vatan), which focused on maritime and underwater technologies, Şanlıurfa became the primary venue for the autumn edition. From September 30 to October 4, GAP Airport is hosting TEKNOFEST Southeast (TEKNOFEST Güneydoğu).
The choice of Şanlıurfa as the festival venue was far from accidental; the location holds deep symbolic significance as one of the region’s oldest cultural centers — the ‘zero point of history’ and one of the very places on Earth where the earliest concepts of engineering originated.
The TEKNOFEST 2026 program in Şanlıurfa features technology competitions, air shows, exhibition halls and fair grounds, educational workshops, science shows, simulation and virtual reality experience zones, as well as displays of aviation and ground hardware. The tech competitions encompass dozens of main and sub-categories — ranging from unmanned aerial vehicles, rocketry, and defense technologies to artificial intelligence, energy, and agricultural technologies.
Thus, TEKNOFEST has long evolved from a conventional airshow into a grand spectacle, a public technology exposition, a competitive launchpad for young developers, and a powerful vehicle for promoting national engineering development.
First Impressions
The very first thing you sense upon stepping onto the TEKNOFEST grounds is the distinct scent of jet fuel in the air. All around are dense streams of people, bustling crowds outside exhibition pavilions, and endless queues leading to the most popular displays.
The TEKNOFEST site is an arena where technology has literally leaped off laboratory computers and materialized into the physical world. Right before us is real hardware: massive vehicles, unmanned systems, and robotic setups.
Adjacent to heavy ground hardware are unmanned aerial technologies. On display are multi-rotor drones engineered for surveying and monitoring, reconnaissance systems, and various other autonomous solutions.
Further along, we encounter tech operating in realms hidden from human sight — underwater robotics. On display are autonomous and remotely operated vehicles from the KAYRA series, designed for deep-sea exploration and underwater monitoring.
In one of the pavilions, agricultural breakthroughs focused on sustainable resource management take center stage. The smart agriculture booths showcase compact vertical hydroponic and aeroponic systems. These small modules, cultivating leafy greens, look very much like miniature farms of the future. The core innovation lies in growing crops within constrained spaces with minimal water consumption.
In an adjacent pavilion, a live reference laboratory has been set up. Young researchers demonstrate to visitors how chemical analyses are performed and how soil and water quality are assessed.
Nearby is another small yet vivid window into the heavy industrial world. The company Türk Altın has presented a working scale model of an open-pit mine featuring radio-controlled mining equipment. The miniature machines maneuver across the site, offering a scaled-down demonstration of heavy equipment operations.
Right beside it, technology addresses the urban environment. The Asrın İnşaası (Construction of the Century) project displays models of TOKİ’s new earthquake-resistant residential districts — a concrete illustration of how engineering solutions are deployed where safety directly impacts everyday life.
Yet it is perhaps here that what truly sets TEKNOFEST apart from a conventional exhibition becomes most evident. Many of these technologies are not meant to be merely observed — young visitors are encouraged to experience them firsthand.
At the booth of the Ministry of Youth and Sports (T.C. Gençlik ve Spor Bakanlığı), children take turns putting on VR headsets to immerse themselves in virtual worlds. For some, it is a game; for others, a first encounter with a technology that until recently belonged to science fiction.
In a neighboring zone, artificial intelligence meets chess. At the AI Satranç (AI Chess) section, visitors can take a seat at the board and challenge an algorithm. Meanwhile, on the nearby space, chess becomes a grand spectacle for children, featuring oversized pieces shaped like rockets and space station modules.
A short distance away, another kind of machinery draws a crowd simply through its operation: farms of Bambu Lab 3D printers producing parts right before visitors’ eyes. Nearby, children assemble their first working mechanical models using engineering kits. Here, professional technology seamlessly transforms into childhood curiosity — a spark that may well inspire a future career in design engineering.
As we walk further, the stream of visitors remains unabated. Somewhere, people are posing for photos beside an armored vehicle; elsewhere, players are locked in a tactical debate over an AI chessboard; nearby, children eagerly await their turn at the VR booth.
Gradually, the overarching impression of TEKNOFEST takes shape: here, technology has stepped out of research labs to meet the very people it was created for. You can examine it up close, hear its hum, touch it, watch a robot in motion, put on a VR headset, challenge artificial intelligence, or build a mechanism with your own hands.
Digitalization of Culture, Tourism, and Art
A special focus of the festival program was placed on integrating digital technologies into the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage. The pavilion hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Türkiye (T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı) alongside the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA) stood out as one of the most visited interactive spaces.
For instance, in the “Sketch Your GoTürkiye” zone, a robotic arm draws graphic souvenir portraits of visitors in real time, seamlessly blending robotics with fine art.
The exhibition’s multimedia terminals showcased digital platforms such as Film Mirasım (featuring digitized historical newsreels and archival footage), integrations with Google Arts & Culture, and the VR Müze section, which allows users to take virtual tours of the country’s premier museums.
A major crowd-pleaser for young attendees and speed enthusiasts was a full-scale Formula 1 racing simulator styled in the branding of the national tourism portal GoTürkiye. Visitors could step into the cockpit of the red race car, grip a professional racing wheel, and navigate a virtual track displayed on a large panoramic screen.
Relevance for Central Asia
Many of the solutions on display at TEKNOFEST hold direct practical relevance for Central Asia.
For instance, modern agricultural innovations — such as vertical hydroponic and aeroponic systems, paired with automated soil and crop monitoring — offer immediate value to Central Asian nations, including Turkmenistan.
Equally pertinent are large-scale monitoring technologies powered by unmanned aerial systems. Drones deployed for surveying, mapping, infrastructure inspection, agricultural land assessment, and environmental tracking provide clear, practical utility for countries with vast territories and extensive arid or arable landscapes.
Another promising field is underwater robotics. In Central Asia, where water resource management carries critical transboundary significance, the development of such technology holds distinct strategic value.
For Turkmen journalists, exploring Turkish innovations at TEKNOFEST carries an even more concrete dimension. One of the flagship achievements of the Turkish defense industry — the Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial vehicle — is already part of Turkmenistan’s Armed Forces inventory. The Bayraktar TB2 has been repeatedly featured in military parades in Ashgabat, most recently participating in the procession before the State Tribune during the parade marking the 35th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s independence on 27 September 2026.
TEKNOFEST for the Future of Humanity
Beyond the physical displays and engineering breakthroughs, what leaves the strongest impression is the crowd: children and teenagers make up a remarkable portion of the visitors. This is precisely what defines TEKNOFEST. The technological future showcased in Şanlıurfa — embodied in aircraft, drones, robotics, and advanced systems — will soon rest in the hands of today’s youth. It is this rising generation that will carry these innovations forward and determine how they shape the future of humanity./// nCa, 1 October 2026
Here are some photos from TEKNOFEST in Şanlıurfa:
