Türkiye’s tech market takes center stage as GITEX Ai Türkiye debuts in Istanbul

Türkiye is using its first GITEX Ai Türkiye event to showcase a fast-growing tech sector, a new wave of AI investment and a startup ecosystem drawing global capital. The two-day Istanbul gathering on 9-10 September aims to connect international investors, exhibitors and policymakers around Eurasia’s emerging digital economy.

Why it matters: - Türkiye is trying to turn its US$38 billion ICT market into a US$58 billion market by 2031. - The country is positioning itself as a cross-border AI and digital innovation corridor between Europe and Asia. - A stronger tech base could pull in capital, cloud infrastructure, manufacturing partners and startup funding across Eurasia.

What happened: - GITEX Ai Türkiye 2026 will debut on 9-10 September at Istanbul Expo Centre. - The event is being hosted by the Investment and Finance Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye, also known as Invest in Türkiye, in strategic partnership with Türkiye’s Ministry of Industry and Technology. - GITEX, the world’s largest tech, AI and investment event network, is powering the event. - inD, the joint venture between Dubai World Trade Centre and Informa that organizes GITEX globally, is organizing the event. - The two-day show will bring together more than 300 enterprise and startup exhibitors. - Investors, government policymakers, expert speakers and thousands of tech executives are expected to attend.

The details: - Türkiye allocated US$3 billion this year to data centre and AI investments. - Türkiye is also seeking US$10 billion in private-sector funding for AI innovation. - The country wants to build one gigawatt of data centre capacity by 2030. - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced plans in June 2026 to train 10,000 advanced AI specialists and 100,000 AI application professionals under the AI Action Plan. - Türkiye’s startup ecosystem raised US$559 million in the first quarter of 2026, more than seven times the same period a year earlier. - Türkiye has 114 technoparks hosting more than 13,000 startups. - The country also has more than 1,700 R&D and design centres. - GITEX Ai Türkiye will focus on AI, 5G and telecom, cloud and connectivity, cybersecurity and dual-use tech, data centres, e-commerce, fintech, gaming, green tech, health tech, mobility, quantum computing and smart manufacturing. - Confirmed exhibitors come from Colombia, Peru, Nigeria, Tunisia, the UAE, Jordan, Poland, Portugal, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan and Singapore. - Confirmed global companies include Google Cloud, HPE, NVIDIA, ASUS, Dell Technologies, Huawei, SAP and TrendAI. - Regional participants include Trendyol, Türkiye’s US$16.5 billion e-commerce company, and Andevos, a Turkish AI and fintech platform. - Halkbank is joining as Platinum Sponsor. - Google Cloud is a Cloud Headline Partner after announcing in 2025 a new Google Cloud region in Türkiye tied to a 10-year, US$2 billion investment with Turkcell. - Turkcell serves 46 million subscribers. - HPE and NVIDIA are gold sponsors. - Additional sponsors and partners include fixcloud, Odoo, Sangfor, Redington and Forcepoint. - More than 100 investors from 20 countries, managing US$50 billion in assets, will meet technopark-incubated startups at the event. - Participating innovation hubs and technoparks include Tech Talk Partners UMV, ITU ARI Teknokent, Teknopark Ankara, Antalya Teknokent, Giresun Teknopark, Medeniyet Teknopark and YTU Yildiz Teknopark.

Between the lines: - Türkiye is using a flagship international event to signal that its AI pitch is moving from policy ambition to dealmaking and infrastructure buildout. - The mix of cloud, chip, telecom, finance and cybersecurity players suggests the market is being framed as an integrated regional platform, not just a domestic opportunity. - The presence of investors managing US$50 billion in assets points to a push for follow-on funding beyond early-stage startup activity.

What’s next: - The September event will test whether Türkiye can convert its policy announcements, funding targets and startup momentum into cross-border partnerships. - The next focus will be whether the country can attract long-term investment for data centres, AI talent and production-ready enterprise deployment. - Event organizers are betting that Istanbul can become a recurring meeting point for Eurasia’s AI economy.

The bottom line: - Türkiye is trying to use GITEX Ai Türkiye to turn a growing tech market into a regional AI hub with global capital behind it.