Azernews.Az

TEKNOFEST Istanbul, organized under the leadership of the Ministry of Industry and Technology and the Türkiye Technology Team Foundation (T3 Foundation), with Anadolu Agency (AA) as its Global Communications Partner, continues to welcome visitors at Istanbul Atatürk Airport.

During his visit to the festival, Trade Minister Ömer Bolat stopped by AA’s stand, greeting staff and expressing gratitude to the T3 Foundation, the Ministry of Industry and Technology, and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, whom he described as the architect behind the event.

Touring the exhibits, Bolat noted the enthusiasm across all age groups, describing the festival atmosphere as a source of national pride. “Children, young people, and families are showing tremendous interest. It truly is a magnificent scene. Our people come here to celebrate Turkiye’s achievements and share in this excitement,” he said.

Bolat emphasized that Turkiye’s technological and defense industry successes are increasingly recognized abroad. “In our international meetings with counterparts and delegations, we frequently hear admiration for Turkiye’s achievements in technology and defense,” he added, noting the strong global reputation of Turkish products.

Highlighting progress in defense, aviation, and software, Bolat pointed to striking figures: “Since 2002, the defense industry has advanced significantly. Today, 90,000 people are employed in the sector, producing $20 billion worth of goods annually. Last year, defense exports reached $7.2 billion, and we aim to raise that figure to at least $8 billion this year. Alongside defense, major strides are being made in aerospace and satellite technologies. Our software industry alone achieved $5 billion in exports last year, and we expect to surpass $5.5 billion this year.”

He also underscored the role of political and economic stability, reforms, and entrepreneurship in enabling these successes. “The fact that our youth are turning to technology, contributing to a technological revolution with their projects, supported by government initiatives, the Ministry of Industry, TÜBİTAK, and the private sector—this is how we have reached this point,” Bolat said.

Bolat concluded by stressing that these achievements must be carried even further, adding that the enthusiasm shown by the public at TEKNOFEST reflects the country’s bright hopes for the future.