Minister Kacır charts Türkiye’s next phase of technology growth at GITEX Ai Türkiye

İSTANBUL, TURKEY, September 11, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Türkiye’s most international tech and AI event brings investment, inclusive innovation and digital resilience into focus across two packed days in Istanbul
Türkiye is aiming to build one of the world’s top 10 startup ecosystems, targeting 100,000 tech startups and US$100 billion in total unicorn valuation, Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır told global technology leaders at GITEX Ai Türkiye today at Istanbul Expo Centre.

“We view tech entrepreneurship as one of the main engines of Türkiye’s next generation of success stories,” Kacır said. Supporting that growth, Türkiye is committing US$150 million in public funding to AI-focused venture capital funds, expanding access to capital for promising AI ventures.

“We want Türkiye to become one of the leading centres of the AI age, where new technologies are developed, innovative companies are scaled, and advanced industrial solutions reach global markets,” Kacır added, while placing a call of action to the thousands of international attendees from 88 countries at GITEX Ai Türkiye: “I invite you to build your next breakthrough in Türkiye. Scale your next company from Türkiye and reach regional and global markets with Türkiye as your partner.”

Hosted by Invest in Türkiye, in strategic partnership with the Ministry of Industry and Technology, and organised by inD, GITEX Ai Türkiye provided a global platform for Türkiye’s technology priorities, spanning AI infrastructure and investment to cybersecurity, physical AI, digital government and entrepreneurship.

Türkiye advances its AI roadmap
Opening the programme on day two, Sadullah Uzun, Director General of National Technology and AI at the Ministry of Industry and Technology of Türkiye, outlined the measures underpinning the country’s AI agenda.
“Our AI Vision and Action Plan for 2026–2030 is backed at the highest level, with two per cent of public spending to be reserved for AI and a goal to reach five million citizens with the capabilities to participate in the AI economy,” Uzun said. “We want Türkiye to be a place where AI is not only adopted, but built, commercialised and scaled.”
A. Burak Dağlıoğlu, President, Investment and Finance Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye (Invest in Türkiye), focused on the country’s evolution from a geographic bridge to an international business and investment hub.
“Twenty years ago, Türkiye was often perceived as a bridge between Asia and Europe. Today, Türkiye is a hub for the region — for manufacturing, R&D, logistics, technology and entrepreneurship,” Dağlıoğlu said. “But being a regional hub is not enough for us. Our ambition for the decades ahead is to become a global economic powerhouse. Türkiye is a resilient and fast-growing economy, with abundant talent, a strong commitment to reform and a government that supports investors. Combined with our position at the nexus of continents, these strengths give Türkiye a powerful foundation to remain competitive as AI reshapes the global economy.”
Trixie LohMirmand, CEO of GITEX, emphasised the need to translate these strengths into faster international growth and investment.

“Türkiye enters the AI economy with formidable credentials — a global industrial base, a dynamic digital economy and around 1,500 AI startups. But AI has changed the competitive equation, and the next step is to move from intent to velocity,” LohMirmand said. “GITEX is here to be a multiplier — of confidence, knowledge, relationships and opportunity — connecting Türkiye with new markets, capital and talent at scale. The industrial age rewarded those who could manufacture at scale; the AI era will reward those who can mobilise intelligence at scale. With the ambition, commitment and senior leadership support we have seen, from the Presidency and Invest in Türkiye to the Ministry of Industry and Technology and the wider ecosystem, Türkiye will be one to watch.”
The address came as GITEX Ai Türkiye concluded two days at Istanbul Expo Center, bringing together more than 350 enterprises and startups with global investors, policymakers and technology leaders. Across the show floor, companies showcased new technologies and pursued partnerships, investment opportunities and routes into international markets.

Unlocking women’s potential in the AI economy
The economic opportunities AI can create for women entrepreneurs came into focus during a talk yesterday featuring Sümeyye Erdoğan Bayraktar, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Woman and Democracy Foundation (KADEM). At the From Idea to Impact: Unlocking Women’s Power in Türkiye’s Innovation Economy session, Bayraktar highlighted how AI is enabling entrepreneurs with smaller teams and limited resources to build capabilities and achieve results previously associated with much larger companies.

“There’s a massive opportunity for women,” said Bayraktar. “We are witnessing firsthand how women entrepreneurs are using AI to increase their capabilities. They are working with very small teams and limited economic resources, but achieving results that traditionally could only be achieved in larger companies.”
She added: “It’s not enough to use AI for women to become more economically powerful. They also need access to mentorship, investment and better employment opportunities.”
GITEX accelerates Dubai enterprise across the globe
The global GITEX network is helping technology companies access new markets and business opportunities worldwide. INTEGRA CITY, a Dubai-headquartered technology integrator specialising in digital government and smart urban environments, is one example, participating across the GITEX portfolio, including GITEX GLOBAL in Dubai and GITEX events in Egypt, Morocco and Türkiye.

At GITEX Ai Türkiye, INTEGRA CITY signed MoUs to participate at GITEX Ai Belgrade (25–27 May 2027) and GITEX Ai Kazakhstan (7–8 June 2027), further expanding its presence across the GITEX network and opening new government and business opportunities.

INTEGRA CITY also showcased its smart city platform, which brings data from multiple urban systems into a single environment for AI-assisted analysis and management.
“Today, the key demand from governments is no longer isolated digitalisation of processes, but integrated platforms where artificial intelligence serves as the analytical core of decision-making,” said Ilya Belyakov, Chief Technical Officer, INTEGRA CITY. “Our solutions enable efficient management of complex systems — from public and road safety to urban infrastructure — through AI modules, real-time analytics, and integrated platforms.”

Building trust into the AI economy
As AI adoption accelerates, cybersecurity emerged as a critical part of the conversation at GITEX Ai Türkiye, with Türkiye’s evolving regulatory landscape placing greater emphasis on resilience, governance and accountability.
Brandefense, a Türkiye-founded cybersecurity company specialising in AI-powered digital risk protection and threat intelligence, highlighted how evolving threats and regulatory expectations are reshaping the way organisations identify, manage and respond to cyber risk.

“Compliance is no longer a checkbox exercise; it’s becoming a board-level conversation,” said Hakan Uzun, CGO & Co-Founder, Brandefense. “We’re seeing organisations move away from perimeter-only thinking toward a much broader understanding of risk that includes third-party exposure, digital brand risks and external attack surfaces.”
At the event, Brandefense demonstrated AI-powered capabilities spanning external attack surface management, threat intelligence, brand protection and third-party risk management.
UMV, a cybersecurity technology company developing AI-powered solutions for threat detection, response and digital resilience, focused on the role of security in enabling organisations to embrace AI and digital transformation with confidence.

“The success of the AI economy will depend not only on innovation, but on trust,” said Yun Sung Kephas Bang, CEO of UMV. “As organisations accelerate AI adoption, cybersecurity must become a core pillar of digital transformation, enabling businesses to innovate with confidence while staying ahead of increasingly sophisticated threats.”
The company showcased AI-powered security innovations including WSS AI, for advanced web shell detection, and WARSS, for real-time website defacement recovery.

Across two days, GITEX Ai Türkiye connected Türkiye’s technology ecosystem with the international GITEX network, strengthening links to global technology, capital and expertise and opening new opportunities for business and international growth. The next edition of GITEX AI Türkiye will take place on 15–16 September 2027.

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