TEKNOFEST, the world's largest Aerospace and Technology Festival made visitors experience a wonderful festival again by breaking records with its 2 million 547 thousand visitors. TEKNOFEST, the festival of records, gave its visitors an adventure full of science, technology and space with the most lovely activities such as technology competitions, Startup Program, breath-taking air shows, awards ceremonies, The Stage Is Yours Event, educational workshops, exhibitions, stage performances, special flight experience for children. TEKNOFEST 2023, which lasted for 5 days at Istanbul Ataturk Airport, ended on May 1 after making memories full of excitement and pride.

TEKNOFEST Science Lane Workshops, Vertical Wind Tunnel, Planetarium, Space-Themed Inflatable Kids Park, Simulation Attractions, Booth Activities by Stakeholders, Sponsors, and Exhibitors as well as the aerobatic slam dunk show. The Fursan Al-Emarat from the United Arab Emirates and teams from Royal Moroccan Air Forces also performed air shows at TEKNOFEST this year for the first year. The festival excitement peaked with amazing aerobatic air shows by AKINCI Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV), Bayraktar TB2, KIZILELMA, Hürkuş, Aksungur/ANKA, Atak Helicopter, GYROCOPTER, Gökbey Helicopter, S-70 Skorsky, BEL 429 Helicopter, Cirrus/Cesna and Solo Türk with F-16 aircrafts of the Turkish Air Forces, and the Turkish Stars as well as the Steel Wings, all of which are produced domestically.
 

Bayraktar KIZILELMA, the source of our nation's pride, and SOLO Türk performed an amazing flight together blazing a trail in the sky. The air show co-performed by The Turkish Stars, the unique eagles of the sky, and the Fursan Al Emarat Aerial Aerobatics team from the United Arab Emirates took the breaths away.

130 exhibitors and 19 sponsors took part in TEKNOFEST, which is organized under the leadership of the Turkish Technology Team Foundation and the Ministry of Industry and Technology of the Republic of Türkiye together with 117 institutions, including ministries, presidencies, public and private sector institutions, academic institutions and media organizations that play a critical role in our country's national technology ecosystem, with a vision of the National Technology Initiative for a Türkiye that develops technology. The enthusiasm and excitement did not diminish for a moment at TEKNOFEST, whose 6th edition was held in the 100th year of the Republic.
 

"Technology Competitions," which is organized within the festival with the purpose of increasing the interest of young people in producing and developing national technologies and supporting thousands of young people working in these fields, were organized as 41 main competitions and 102 different categories. More than 333 thousand teams and 1 million competitors applied to TEKNOFEST 2023 Technology Competitions this year. Young people were awarded with a prize money of over 13 million TRY and 30 million TRY equipment support. The young people who ranked in the competitions received their awards on the stage of TEKNOFEST.

• 4,333 teams and 20,000 competitors in 2018
• 17,373 teams and 50,000 competitors in 2019,
• 20,197 teams, 100,000 competitors in 2020,
• 45,000 teams, 200,000 competitors in 2021,
• 154,000 teams, 600,000 competitors in 2022,
• more than 333,000 teams and 1,000,000 competitors in 2023 applied to the Technology Competitions.

TEKNOFEST, the world's largest Aerospace and Technology Festival, hosted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Azerbaijani President İlham Aliyev and Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dibeybe on the third day. President Erdogan entered the TEKNOFEST through Ataturk Airport's apron with a TOGG colored in Anatolian Red whose wheel Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev took. President Erdogan thanked Azerbaijani President İlham Aliyev, his wife Mihriban Aliyeva and Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dibeybe for their participation, saying that TEKNOFEST was exceptionally this year and sending greetings to young hearts in 81 provinces of the country in his speech.

President Erdoğan stated that they came together with young people who are interested in technology, defense industry and science and continued as follows: "We live our technology festival this year first in Istanbul and then, God willing, in Ankara. I wish TEKNOFEST, where concrete examples of our National Technology Initiative are exhibited, to be beneficial for our country, our nation and you, our young people.”

Turkish citizens to be sent to space within the National Space Program in the 100th year our Republic was also announced by President Erdoğan at TEKNOFEST. Erdoğan handed over the flag, which will be a symbol of Türkiye's power and determination, to Alper Gezeravci and fellow passenger Tuva Cihangir Atasever, who will travel to the International Space Station, for them to take it to space and carry it proudly.

Selçuk Bayraktar delivered the closing speech of the 5-day festival: “Thank Allah, we have completed another magnificent TEKNOFEST successfully without any accidents. TEKNOFEST is a festival that is breaking records over and over again and bring hope to our tomorrows. Our young people who, claim to develop technology and advance our country to a fully independent tomorrow, rushed to TEKNOFEST. More than one million young brothers and sisters applied to our technology competitions this year. The first record of this year was broken by our competitor friends. We broke the world record with 1 million 720 thousand visitors in 2019.

1 million of our brothers and sisters rushed to Atatürk Airport, valiants' square, to meet with the National Technology Initiative. We have set another worldwide record as of now. TEKNOFEST 2023 has made history as the largest organization in the world with more than 2.5 million visitors. We have achieved this all together. I express my gratitude to our precious nation, who has been with us since the first day.

TEKNOFEST is a strong objection against those who do not believe in domination, giant monopolies, our future and our young people. It is a rebellion against being stranger and pariah in one's own homeland. It is the fraternal square of the valiant men who say that we will work hand in hand, heart to heart, for our nation and humanity. I would like to remind you once again that this square is the square of those who see the future of Türkiye not in foreign companies, but in Turkish youth, the pioneer of the National Technology Initiative. TEKNOFEST is the conscience of this nation, the architect of our bright future, the guarantee of our fully independent and prosperous tomorrows. Our unity is growing more and more every day. I hope we will stand shoulder to shoulder and overcome every challenge together.

Our brotherhood is our most powerful treasure. We will never let those who want to harm this brotherhood. There exists now a Türkiye that has risen, which is a cure for humanity and oppression. God willing, we will build a world adopting the values of justice, mercy and kindness of our ancient civilization together. As the poet said in the lines that touched our hearts, “The path is his, being is his, all else is drudgery. You have crawled too long on your face; on your feet, Sakarya!”

We decided to hold TEKNOFEST in our three large cities as befits the 100th year of our Republic. We will hold TEKNOFESTs in Ankara, our capital, and in İzmir, city of our independence, hopefully in our 100th year. TEKNOFEST is beautiful with you. I would like to thank my teammates at the T3 Foundation, our volunteers, stakeholders, my young brothers who participated in competitions, our precious nation who visited from every corner of our country and from different places of the world and shared our excitement and supported us without sparing their prayers.

We have dedicated our lives to the “National Technology Iniative”. We will continue to fight until the end. No matter what comes our way, we will not turn back. We entrusted KIZILELMA, this square and TEKNOFEST to Allah first and then to our nation.

Click to view TEKNOFEST 2023 Technology Competitions ranking list.