In 2025, TEKNOFEST made history by bringing together technology enthusiasts through three separate festivals: one held abroad in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), and the others organized in Mavi Vatan and Istanbul.
The festival held at the former Ercan Airport in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus between 1–4 May 2025 welcomed 225,000 visitors, strengthening fraternal ties and bringing together thousands of young technology enthusiasts. The event featured technology competitions, exhibitions, and interactive activities. With the contributions of 130 stakeholder institutions, competitions were organized in 6 main categories and 13 subcategories, providing TRY 2.5 million in prize awards and TRY 3 million in material support.
TEKNOFEST Mavi Vatan, held at the Istanbul Shipyard Command between 28–31 August 2025, showcased the reflections of national technological achievements in the maritime domain to a wide audience. The event welcomed 175,000 visitors and offered participants an unforgettable experience through technology competitions, exhibitions, national technology product displays, SAT and SAS demonstrations, boat tours, virtual reality experience areas, and workshops. The “From Past to Future: TEKNOFEST Mavi Vatan Bosphorus Crossing,” held on 24 August in the Istanbul Bosphorus, featured the participation of the TCG ANADOLU and TCG Savarona vessels. Starting near the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge and continuing with a salute from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Dolmabahçe, the crossing concluded along the Moda, Caddebostan, and Maltepe coastline. Young competitors, children of martyrs, and children from state care homes witnessed this historic moment.
The final stop of 2025 was TEKNOFEST Istanbul, held at Istanbul Atatürk Airport between 17–21 September 2025, which attracted 1,032,000 visitors. Technology competitions were organized in 58 main categories and 137 subcategories during the festival. Winning teams received over TRY 85 million in financial support and more than TRY 65 million in prize awards. The event, organized with the contributions of 137 stakeholder institutions, offered young people a week full of technology and experiences, including breathtaking air shows, concerts, exhibitions, simulation areas, a planetarium, and displays of maritime, land, and air vehicles.
TEKNOFEST 2025 also introduced many innovations and firsts for participants. Thirteen new competition categories were added to the festival. The Marine Vehicles Exhibition, TEKNOFEST Champions’ Parade, KÜME Foundation Field Event, Fetih 1453 Digital Experience Area, Steel Dome Air Defense System, and the TEİ BREMZE Experience Area were presented to visitors for the first time. In addition, the Agricultural Technologies Cluster Event Area was opened to participants, further enriching the festival experience.
In its 7th year, TEKNOFEST was held across different regions of Türkiye, creating great excitement nationwide. TEKNOFEST Mediterranean 2024 attracted significant attention with the TEKNOFEST Technology Competitions, held on 5–8 September at the Antalya ANFAŞ International Fair and Congress Center. More than 200,000 teams and over 800,000 young participants applied to competitions organized across 50 different categories, taking an important step toward becoming the technology leaders of the future.
Following this event, TEKNOFEST Adana, held at Adana Şakirpaşa Airport from 2–6 October 2024, welcomed 1,100,000 visitors and became a major celebration of science and technology. More than 1,650,000 young participants from 100 countries applied to competitions organized under 50 main categories and 128 subcategories. During the festival, ANKA III and Bayraktar TB3, developed by TUSAŞ and BAYKAR, performed their first public flights. Visitors also explored special experience areas such as “From Roots to the Future: TEKNOFEST Digital Universe,” “TEKNOFEST Timeline,” “Mobile Land Vehicles Track,” “Children’s Stage,” “Türkiye’s First Human Space Mission Pavilion,” “TEKNOFEST Champions League,” “In the Footsteps of Victory: Çanakkale Experience Area,” and the Interview Area.
TEKNOFEST 2024 was organized in cooperation with 126 stakeholder institutions, providing more than TRY 30 million in prize awards and over TRY 55 million in material support. More than 1,650,000 competitors from 81 provinces of Türkiye and 100 countries applied to the competitions. The festival brought young people together through the universal excitement of technology, advancing Türkiye’s National Technology Initiative one step further.
In the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye, TEKNOFEST was held in Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir, breaking a record with a total of 4,590,000 visitors. The festival hosted 44 different technology competitions in collaboration with 2 organizing institutions and 123 stakeholder organizations. More than 1,000,000 competitors from 81 provinces of Türkiye and 100 countries applied, and a total of over TRY 20 million in prizes and material support was distributed.
The first stop was Istanbul. At the festival held at Atatürk Airport between 27 April and 1 May 2023, KIZILELMA made its first public flight and achieved a historic milestone by performing a formation flight with SOLOTÜRK. World-renowned aerobatic teams UAE Fursan Al Emarat and Royal Morocco Green March performed shows together with Turkish pilots, while the joint flypast of Turkish Stars and Fursan Al Emarat marked another first for Istanbul. Following the opening ceremony, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, and Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dibeybe attended the festival. During the ceremony, the Turkish flag symbolizing Türkiye’s strength and determination was presented to Alper Gezeravcı and Tuva Cihangir Atasever, who would later travel to the International Space Station. Istanbul brought together 2,547,000 technology enthusiasts at TEKNOFEST.
The second stop was Ankara. Held at Etimesgut Airport from 30 August to 3 September 2023, the festival showcased the DeltaV SORS Sounding Rocket and hosted the TEKNOFEST Entrepreneurship Competition in Ankara for the first time. A Mahzar Alanson concert was also held as part of the festival program. Ankara brought together 943,000 technology enthusiasts at TEKNOFEST.
The third stop was Izmir. At the festival held at Çiğli Airport from 27 September to 1 October 2023, the BMC TULGA SUV was exhibited for the first time. The DENEYAP Makeathon and Ideathon competitions were organized for the first time, and the TEKNOFEST Entrepreneurship Competition was also held in Izmir. Izmir brought together 1,100,000 technology enthusiasts at TEKNOFEST.
Throughout 2023, as part of the “Let a Child Come and Touch a Plane” project, more than 100,000 students visited the festival areas and experienced the spirit of TEKNOFEST.
In 2022, TEKNOFEST both expanded internationally and brought technology to young people across the Black Sea region. Held in Baku, Azerbaijan, on 26–29 May 2022, TEKNOFEST became the first festival organized abroad. 1,000 teams and more than 5,000 competitors applied across 10 competition categories. Finalist teams received their awards from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and President Ilham Aliyev. The HÜRKUŞ basic training aircraft flew to Azerbaijan for the first time, the T625 GÖKBEY helicopter was exhibited, and the National Combat Aircraft VR simulator offered visitors a flight experience. The festival attracted more than 300,000 visitors.
Later, TEKNOFEST Black Sea was held on 30 August – 4 September 2022, centered at Samsun Çarşamba Airport, becoming the first regionally organized TEKNOFEST festival. Satellite events were also organized in Rize, Ordu, Giresun, and Trabzon. Over 154,000 teams and 600,000 competitors from 81 provinces of Türkiye and 107 countries participated in 40 competitions. Bayraktar KIZILELMA was exhibited for the first time, and the world’s first Vertical Landing Rocket Competition was held.
Through the “Let a Child Touch an Aircraft” project, 50,000 students from 13 cities visited the festival and experienced aircraft up close.
The year 2022 marked a major milestone in TEKNOFEST’s international expansion and regional outreach.
Held on 21–26 September 2021 at Istanbul Atatürk Airport, TEKNOFEST welcomed 1,000,000 visitors, becoming one of Türkiye’s largest technology and aviation festivals. With contributions from 72 stakeholder institutions, technology competitions were organized in 35 different categories. More than 200,000 applicants from 81 provinces of Türkiye and 111 countries participated.
Over TRY 5 million in prizes and more than TRY 7 million in combined financial and material support were provided to participants. Nobel Laureate Prof. Dr. Aziz Sancar met with young participants during the festival, while a cooperation protocol between Türkiye and Azerbaijan was signed. Azerbaijani Air Force MiG-29 fighter jets performed demonstration flights alongside aircraft from the Turkish Air Force.
The festival also featured the Turkish Natural Language Processing Competition for the first time. Air shows included formation flights by Bayraktar TB2, AKINCI UCAV, and F-16 fighter jets, while the AKSUNGUR UAV, GÖKBEY helicopter, and the domestically produced TOGG automobile were exhibited.
TEKNOFEST 2021 further strengthened the National Technology Initiative through new competition categories and increased international participation.
Held on 24–27 September 2020 at the Gaziantep Middle East Fair Center, TEKNOFEST took place without visitors due to the COVID-19 pandemic, yet attracted significant attention through digital and social media platforms. With the contributions of 63 stakeholder institutions, technology competitions were organized in 21 different categories. More than 100,000 people applied, with participants from 81 provinces of Türkiye and 84 countries. Over TRY 3 million was awarded to winning teams, while approximately TRY 5 million in material support was provided to teams that passed the preliminary rounds.
The DENEYAP Kart Electronic Development Kit, developed jointly by the Turkish Technology Team Foundation and entrepreneurs, was introduced during the festival. The sky hosted demonstration flights by the Turkish Stars, SOLOTÜRK, ATAK Helicopters, and the Gendarmerie Steel Wings. The “Grape Cluster” demonstration, jointly performed by the General Directorate of Security and the Coast Guard Command, received great acclaim. World-renowned aerobatic pilot Dario Costa, a Red Bull athlete, also showcased his skills.
TEKNOFEST 2020 Gaziantep became the most talked-about event of the year on social media, generating 1,940,918 posts and 1,460,348 uses of the festival’s hashtag, making it the fifth most popular hashtag of the year and demonstrating the resilience of Türkiye’s national technology Initiative even under pandemic conditions.
Held on 17–22 September 2019 at Istanbul Atatürk Airport, TEKNOFEST became the world’s largest festival in terms of participation, welcoming 1,720,000 visitors. Organized with the contribution of 2 organizing institutions and 53 stakeholder organizations, the festival hosted technology competitions in 19 different categories and distributed more than TRY 2 million in prizes. More than 50,000 applicants participated in the competitions, with participants from 81 provinces of Türkiye and 122 countries.
One of the standout highlights was the MC-21 passenger aircraft, which made its international debut flight from Russia to Istanbul and was displayed at the festival. Türkiye’s first domestically developed ATAK helicopter, the HÜRJET training aircraft, the BMC ALTAY tank, the Baykar-developed AKINCI UCAV, and the CEZERİ Flying Car were exhibited for the first time. While SOLOTÜRK and the Turkish Stars delivered remarkable performances, international aircraft and teams such as the Russian Knights Aerobatic Team, Su-35, Be-200, and ANKA also performed demonstration flights.
TEKNOFEST 2019 further strengthened the visibility of Türkiye’s national technology Initiative both nationally and internationally.
Held for the first time on 20–23 September 2018 at Istanbul Airport, TEKNOFEST brought Türkiye’s national technology vision together with the public. The festival was organized under the leadership of the Turkish Technology Team Foundation and the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Industry and Technology, in cooperation with 30 stakeholder institutions.
Technology competitions were held in 14 different categories, with more than TRY 2 million awarded in prizes and financial support. Over 20,000 applicants participated, and approximately 550,000 visitors experienced the festival. TEKNOFEST became the world’s third-largest aviation event in terms of total visitors and the second-largest in terms of daily visitors.
One of the most remarkable events, “The Race of Races,” featured simultaneous performances by SOLOTÜRK F-16, Kenan Sofuoğlu’s Kawasaki H2R, VIP Jet Challenger 605, Aston Martin, Lotus Evora 410 Sport, Tesla P100DL, and a Red Bull Racing Formula 1 car. Over four days, the sky was filled with breathtaking shows by Turkish Stars, SOLOTÜRK, ATAK Helicopters, Bayraktar TB2, HÜRKUŞ, and civilian aerobatic pilots. Hundreds of children experienced their first flight in cockpits alongside pilots, while a Turkish Airlines passenger aircraft performed a formation pass with the Turkish Stars.
TEKNOFEST 2018 was not only a festival but also the beginning of Türkiye’s national technology Inıtiative shaping the future.
