Under the leadership of the Türkiye Technology Team Foundation (T3 Foundation) and the Ministry of Industry and Technology of the Republic of Türkiye, TEKNOFEST – the world’s largest aviation, space and technology festival – brought together millions of technology enthusiasts in Istanbul!
Having hosted nearly 11 million visitors so far, the festival once again offered millions the excitement of science, technology, and innovation, blending with the historical and cultural richness of Istanbul. Held between September 17–21 at Atatürk Airport, TEKNOFEST Istanbul hosted a wide range of events from innovation-driven competitions to breathtaking air shows, combining technology and excitement.
This year, we were 1,503,000 strong!
TEKNOFEST 2025 reached large audiences once again by meeting visitors in different locations. TEKNOFEST TRNC hosted 225,000 visitors, TEKNOFEST Blue Homeland welcomed 175,000, while 71,000 people participated in the final stages of the competitions. In total, TEKNOFEST brought together 1,503,000 people in 2025.
Young people competed fiercely in technology competitions! The winners received their awards on the TEKNOFEST main stage…
Standing out with categories that support technological development in critical areas, TEKNOFEST Istanbul hosted competitions in 58 main and 137 subcategories, where the teams that passed the preliminary stage competed. With more than 85 million TL in financial support, a total of over 65 million TL in prizes were awarded to the winning teams.
The source of inspiration, the heart of technology – TEKNOFEST Istanbul!
Aiming to turn dreams into reality, more than 565,000 teams and 1.1 million competitors applied to the technology competitions held within TEKNOFEST Istanbul. With 58 main and 137 subcategories, the festival became a hub where innovative ideas were showcased, bringing together students, entrepreneurs, and technology enthusiasts shaping the future of science and technology.
Excitement in the skies, joy on the ground – TEKNOFEST Istanbul made a huge impact!
From the youngest to the oldest, from families to tech enthusiasts, TEKNOFEST Istanbul offered five unforgettable days to visitors of all ages. The festival featured breathtaking air shows, vibrant concerts and stage performances, inspiring exhibitions and educational workshops, immersive simulation experiences, a journey to the stars through the planetarium, science shows, the TEKNOFEST Time Tunnel showcasing the past and present of technology, exhibitions of our nationally proud land, sea, and air vehicles, fair activities, and even first-flight experiences designed especially for students.
President Erdoğan attended TEKNOFEST Istanbul…
On the third day of the festival, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended TEKNOFEST Istanbul, emphasizing that TEKNOFEST has hosted over 11 million visitors so far, and stated:
“TEKNOFEST has become a global brand. We are here in Istanbul at an event where dreams turn into ideas, ideas into projects, and projects into technological products. We are proud to be holding the 13th TEKNOFEST. The TEKNOFEST generation, a key actor of the Century of Türkiye, once again shines. With their confidence and magnificent works, our youth are laying the foundations of a great and strong Türkiye. Seeing young people like you, with open minds and horizons, who dazzle both with their character and their products, gives us confidence in the future.”
President Erdoğan also presented awards to the young winners of the technology competitions.
The powerful voice of Turkish rock music, Kıraç, gave TEKNOFEST Istanbul unforgettable moments!
On the evening of September 19, TEKNOFEST Istanbul hosted an unforgettable music event. Beloved Turkish rock singer Kıraç took the stage with his powerful voice and unique interpretations, enchanting the audience. With his energy on stage and timeless songs, Kıraç brought unforgettable excitement to the festival visitors.
The wings of national technology echoed across the skies of Istanbul!
Held between September 17–21 at Istanbul Atatürk Airport, the festival also showcased dazzling air shows from Türkiye’s aviation and defense industry. At the festival, SOLOTÜRK and Turkish Stars danced across the skies, while F-16 fighter jets pushed the limits of power and speed. ATAK helicopters amazed with their agility and dynamism, while Hürkuş stood out with its original design. Among the stars of the festival, Anka carried viewers into the future with its advanced technology, while Bayraktar TB2 and TB3 impressed with their superior surveillance capabilities. Bayraktar Akıncı, one of the giants of the skies, showcased Türkiye’s aviation vision with its strong presence and high payload capacity.
The closing ceremony took place with great enthusiasm…
Hundreds of thousands filled the festival grounds during the closing ceremony. Speaking at the event, Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz said:
“We know very well that countries which cannot produce technology and only consume it have no future. For our independence, security, and prosperity, our ideal of being a nation that produces technology is of vital importance.”
Vice President Yılmaz and Selçuk Bayraktar also presented awards to the young winners of the technology competitions.
Speaking at the ceremony, Chairman of the TEKNOFEST Board of Directors Selçuk Bayraktar said:
“These last 5 days have truly turned into a magnificent technology festival. With the experiences, creative installations, and the parade of champions, we lived through a truly unique technology experience. It has been a TEKNOFEST that crowned our National Technology Initiative in the most fitting way. We also witnessed spectacular shows. Here, we saw firsthand the magnificent works of our finalists – nearly 11,000 champions. We are truly proud of them. This year TEKNOFEST once again broke records with 1.2 million applications across 64 categories. We believe that you, the sun-faced children of our civilization, inspired by our values of justice, freedom, goodness, and compassion, will lift the world back to its feet.”
TEKNOFEST 2025 strengthened its impact with innovations and firsts!
This year, TEKNOFEST 2025 Istanbul added important milestones with newly introduced events, experience zones, and competitions. Visitors had the chance to closely examine Salvo USV, Marlin USV, Albatros USV, and the Abdulhamit Submarine at the Naval Vehicles Exhibition. Teams that succeeded in 13 competition categories, along with SUAS and IREC products, were showcased in the TEKNOFEST Champions Parade. Featuring over 100 products including rockets, UAVs, model satellites, autonomous vehicles, and much more, the exhibition attracted great interest.
Other highlights included the KÜME Foundation Zone, the Conquest 1453 Digital Experience Zone, the Steel Dome Air Defense System Experience Zone, and the TEI BREMZE experience. Meanwhile, the Agricultural Technologies Cluster Event Area offered visitors the chance to explore genetic studies in livestock. Laboratory workshops conducted with expert trainers allowed participants to experience embryo creation and transfer processes firsthand.
New competitions added to the TEKNOFEST 2025 program gave young people opportunities to showcase their creativity and production power in different fields. These competitions included: The 3T in Oncology Competition, TEKNOFEST Vocational Skills Competition, N’Sosyal Super App Creathon Competition, TEKNOFEST Artificial Intelligence Film Competition, 5G Positioning Competition, Future Sustainable Cities Hackathon, Secure Satellite Communication Competition, Action-Based Turkish Large Language Model Competition, Unmanned Ground Vehicle Competition, TEKNOFEST Architectural and Visual Design Competition, International Children’s Science Competition, AI-Powered Address Resolution Hackathon, and the Underwater Rocket Competition.
