TEKNOFEST Blue Homeland, where sea, sky, and technology met in Gölcük, concluded following immense visitor interest, breathtaking demonstrations, technology competitions, sports events, and historic technology displays. A total of 343,000 visitors joined the four-day festival to share in the excitement. Attended by Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, the closing ceremony featured award presentations to winning teams. TEKNOFEST’s next destination will be Şanlıurfa from September 30 to October 4.
24.08.2026
Organized under the main execution of the Ministry of National Defense and the Turkish Technology Team Foundation (T3 Foundation) at the Gölcük Naval Shipyard Command from August 20–23, TEKNOFEST Blue Homeland transformed into a four-day technology showcase that delivered Türkiye’s maritime, defense, and advanced technology capabilities to hundreds of thousands of people. Offering a rich spectrum of content, ranging from major Turkish Naval Forces platforms to unmanned surface vehicles, underwater systems, aircraft, technology competitions, sports, and music events, the festival came to a close with a final closing and award ceremony.
Throughout the festival, visitors at the Gölcük Naval Shipyard Command had the opportunity to observe flagship platforms of the Turkish Naval Forces up close and experience maritime technologies on-site. Platforms such as TCG Anadolu, TCG Barbaros, TCG Savarona, TCG Turgutreis, TCG Murat Reis, and the TCG 18 Mart Submarine drew intense visitor interest, with a total of 37 naval platforms and 4 aircraft meeting citizens in the event area.
One of the most striking aspects of TEKNOFEST Blue Homeland was the immense turnout. Over the four days, visitors of all ages, from children and youth to families and technology enthusiasts, flocked to the Gölcük Naval Shipyard Command for a firsthand look at Türkiye’s maritime technological power.
Moving beyond an exhibition of defense industry and technology products, the festival hosted hands-on workshops, experience zones, trivia competitions, and engaging activities that connected children and youth with science and technology. While T3 Foundation and Science Street workshops engaged young minds, the NSosyal Nod Trivia Competition and "The Stage Is Yours" events added vibrant energy to the atmosphere.
Demonstrations held on land and at sea throughout TEKNOFEST Blue Homeland delivered unforgettable moments to spectators. Shows by SAT and SAS commando teams, flight demonstrations by the Naval Aviation Command and UAVs, and the Blue Homeland Sailing Cortège attracted massive crowds.
Reflecting Türkiye’s technological capabilities in maritime and defense industries, the Bayraktar TB2 and Bayraktar TB3 were also among the highlight attractions of the festival. Bringing manned and unmanned systems together within the same organization and technology ecosystem demonstrated Türkiye's advanced level of sea-air integration.
Technology competitions formed one of the primary pillars of the festival. Young technology teams from across Türkiye tested their self-developed systems in real-world task scenarios within the Unmanned Underwater Systems, Unmanned Surface Vehicle, and Underwater Rocket competitions.
Over 1,200 contestants across 112 finalist teams showcased projects in Gölcük ranging from underwater systems to autonomous naval vessels. The competitions allowed youth to test their engineering knowledge and skills under real field conditions while laying the groundwork for key future maritime and defense projects.
Alongside technology competitions, sports activities generated widespread enthusiasm at TEKNOFEST Blue Homeland. In the 1,500-meter Open Water Swimming Race held on the third day of the festival, 111 male and 41 female athletes competed in the Gölcük Körfezi, with Eymen Taha Turan placing first in the men's category and Nida Başaran in the women's category.
The Dragon Boat Rowing Race, Tug of War, and Heaving Line Throwing events provided additional excitement, bringing technology, maritime culture, sports, and entertainment together under a single festival atmosphere over four days.
On the third day of TEKNOFEST Blue Homeland, the excitement in the festival area reached its peak with music. Popular artist SEFO gave thousands of visitors a music-filled evening with his concert at the Gölcük Naval Shipyard Command. The concert, where youth and families sang along to the songs together, took its place in memories as one of the most colorful moments of the festival.
The closing ceremony of the four-day festival took place with the participation of Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz. Chairperson of the Board of Directors of TEKNOFEST and Chairperson of the T3 Foundation Board of Trustees Selçuk Bayraktar also addressed the audience.
In his closing speech, Cevdet Yılmaz emphasized the growing strategic importance of the Blue Homeland for Türkiye, stating: “We will unhesitatingly and uncompromisingly protect our sovereignty and our rights in the Blue Homeland”. Highlighting the technological level Türkiye has reached at sea, Yılmaz noted that 37 ships and 4 aircraft met with citizens. He further emphasized that the domestic contribution rate in the defense industry has surpassed 80%, a new architecture enabling manned and unmanned systems to operate securely on the same network has been developed, and youth will play a decisive role in Türkiye’s future.
Selçuk Bayraktar stated that over the four days in Gölcük, young teams did not merely compete with unmanned surface vehicles, underwater rockets, and autonomous systems; Turkish engineering and youth left a powerful mark on the future of the Blue Homeland. Bayraktar stressed that young people are not only the protectors of the Blue Homeland, but also the architects of its future.
Teams ranking in the technology competitions held within TEKNOFEST Blue Homeland received their awards at the closing ceremony. Awards for successful teams in the Unmanned Underwater Systems, Unmanned Surface Vehicle, and Underwater Rocket competitions were presented by Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of TEKNOFEST Selçuk Bayraktar, Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır, and Commander of the Naval Forces Admiral Ercüment Tatlıoğlu.
While original designs, autonomous systems, underwater technologies, and unmanned surface vehicles developed by the youth drew immense interest throughout the festival, the award ceremony became one of the most meaningful moments of the four-day technology competition.
The new stop for the TEKNOFEST excitement will be the Southeast. In his closing address, TEKNOFEST Chairperson Selçuk Bayraktar invited all of Türkiye to Şanlıurfa for TEKNOFEST Southeast, taking place from September 30 to October 4.
The National Technology Initiative enthusiasm carried to the seas at TEKNOFEST Blue Homeland will now extend to the Southeast, where technology enthusiasts, youth, families, and all of Türkiye prepare to meet in Şanlıurfa from September 30 to October 4.
22.08.2026
GENERAL
