Sadullah Uzun, Director General of National Technology and AI at the Ministry of Industry and Technology of Türkiye
A. Burak Dağlıoğlu, President, Investment and Finance Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye (Invest in Türkiye)
Sümeyye Erdoğan Bayraktar, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Woman and Democracy Foundation (KADEM) at GITEX Ai Türkiye
Trixie LohMirmand, CEO of GITEX
İSTANBUL, TURKEY, September 11, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Türkiye’s premier international tech and AI gathering shines a spotlight on investment, inclusive innovation, and digital resilience during two intensive days in Istanbul
Türkiye has set its sights on establishing one of the world’s top 10 startup ecosystems, with goals of 100,000 tech startups and US$100 billion in total unicorn valuation, as stated by Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır while addressing global technology leaders at GITEX Ai Türkiye today at Istanbul Expo Centre.
“Tech entrepreneurship is viewed by us as a key driver for Türkiye’s upcoming wave of success stories,” Kacır remarked. To fuel this expansion, Türkiye is allocating US$150 million in public funds toward AI-focused venture capital vehicles, broadening access to capital for promising AI enterprises.
“Our aspiration is for Türkiye to emerge as a premier hub of the AI era, where novel technologies are created, innovative enterprises are expanded, and cutting-edge industrial solutions reach worldwide markets,” Kacır continued, issuing a call to action for the thousands of international participants from 88 nations at GITEX Ai Türkiye: “I encourage you to build your next major innovation in Türkiye. Grow your next company from Türkiye, and access regional and global markets with Türkiye as your ally.”
Organised by inD and hosted by Invest in Türkiye, in strategic collaboration with the Ministry of Industry and Technology, GITEX Ai Türkiye offered a worldwide stage for Türkiye’s technology priorities, covering AI infrastructure and investment, cybersecurity, physical AI, digital government, and entrepreneurship.
Türkiye progresses its AI strategy
On day two, Sadullah Uzun, Director General of National Technology and AI at the Ministry of Industry and Technology of Türkiye, opened the programme by detailing the steps supporting the nation’s AI roadmap.
“Our AI Vision and Action Plan covering 2026–2030 enjoys top-level backing, with two per cent of public expenditure set aside for AI and a target of reaching five million citizens with the skills to engage in the AI economy,” Uzun stated. “We envision Türkiye as a destination where AI is not merely adopted, but created, commercialised, and expanded.”
A. Burak Dağlıoğlu, President, Investment and Finance Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye (Invest in Türkiye), highlighted the country’s shift from a geographical connector to a global commerce and investment centre.
“Twenty years ago, Türkiye was commonly seen as a link between Asia and Europe. Nowadays, Türkiye functions as a regional centre for manufacturing, R&D, logistics, technology, and entrepreneurship,” Dağlıoğlu remarked. “Yet being a regional centre does not satisfy our ambitions. Our goal for the coming decades is to become a worldwide economic force. Türkiye offers a resilient and swiftly expanding economy, abundant talent, a solid dedication to reform, and a government that backs investors. When combined with our location at the crossroads of continents, these assets provide Türkiye with a robust basis to stay competitive as AI transforms the global economy.”
Trixie LohMirmand, CEO of GITEX, stressed the necessity of translating these advantages into swifter global expansion and investment.
“Türkiye steps into the AI economy with strong credentials — a worldwide industrial foundation, a vibrant digital economy, and roughly 1,500 AI startups. However, AI has altered the competitive landscape, and the next move is shifting from intention to speed,” LohMirmand stated. “GITEX serves as a multiplier — of confidence, expertise, connections, and opportunity — linking Türkiye with fresh markets, capital, and talent on a large scale. The industrial era benefited those who could produce at scale; the AI era will reward those who can deploy intelligence at scale. Given the ambition, dedication, and high-level leadership backing we have observed, from the Presidency and Invest in Türkiye to the Ministry of Industry and Technology and the wider ecosystem, Türkiye is certainly one to follow.”
The address coincided with the conclusion of GITEX Ai Türkiye’s two-day run at Istanbul Expo Center, which united more than 350 enterprises and startups alongside global investors, policymakers, and technology leaders. Throughout the exhibition hall, companies unveiled emerging technologies and pursued collaborations, investment prospects, and routes into international markets.
Unlocking women’s potential in the AI economy
The economic prospects AI can generate for women entrepreneurs took centre stage during a discussion yesterday featuring Sümeyye Erdoğan Bayraktar, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Woman and Democracy Foundation (KADEM). During the From Idea to Impact: Unlocking Women’s Power in Türkiye’s Innovation Economy session, Bayraktar pointed out how AI is empowering entrepreneurs operating with smaller teams and constrained resources to develop capabilities and produce outcomes previously linked with much larger organisations.
“There exists a tremendous opportunity for women,” Bayraktar stated. “We are observing directly how women entrepreneurs are leveraging AI to expand their capabilities. They operate with very small teams and limited financial means, yet they are attaining results that historically could only be reached in larger corporations.”
She continued: “Simply using AI is insufficient for women to gain greater economic strength. They additionally require access to mentorship, investment, and improved employment prospects.”
GITEX accelerates Dubai enterprise worldwide
The worldwide GITEX network is assisting technology companies in reaching fresh markets and business prospects across the globe. INTEGRA CITY, a Dubai-based technology integrator specialising in digital government and smart urban environments, serves as one illustration, taking part across the GITEX portfolio, including GITEX GLOBAL in Dubai and GITEX events in Egypt, Morocco, and Türkiye.
At GITEX Ai Türkiye, INTEGRA CITY signed Memorandums of Understanding to participate at GITEX Ai Belgrade (25–27 May 2027) and GITEX Ai Kazakhstan (7–8 June 2027), thereby broadening its footprint across the GITEX network and unlocking new government and business opportunities.
INTEGRA CITY additionally demonstrated its smart city platform, which aggregates data from multiple urban systems into a unified environment for AI-assisted analysis and management.
“Currently, the primary demand from governments is no longer isolated process digitalisation, but rather integrated platforms where artificial intelligence serves as the analytical core of decision-making,” said Ilya Belyakov, Chief Technical Officer, INTEGRA CITY. “Our solutions allow for efficient management of complex systems — spanning public and road safety to urban infrastructure — via AI modules, real-time analytics, and integrated platforms.”
Establishing trust in the AI economy
As AI adoption accelerates, cybersecurity became a vital element of the conversation at GITEX Ai Türkiye, with Türkiye’s changing regulatory environment placing increased focus on resilience, governance, and accountability.
Brandefense, a Türkiye-founded cybersecurity firm specialising in AI-powered digital risk protection and threat intelligence, underscored how shifting threats and regulatory expectations are reshaping the way organisations identify, manage, and respond to cyber risk.
“Compliance is no longer a simple checklist activity; it is evolving into a board-level discussion,” remarked Hakan Uzun, CGO & Co-Founder, Brandefense. “We are witnessing organisations moving beyond perimeter-only thinking toward a much wider understanding of risk that encompasses third-party exposure, digital brand threats, and external attack surfaces.”
During the event, Brandefense showcased AI-powered capabilities covering external attack surface management, threat intelligence, brand protection, and third-party risk management.
UMV, a cybersecurity technology company creating AI-powered solutions for threat detection, response, and digital resilience, concentrated on the role of security in enabling organisations to adopt AI and digital transformation with assurance.
“The prosperity of the AI economy will rely not solely on innovation, but also on trust,” said Yun Sung Kephas Bang, CEO of UMV. “As organisations speed up AI adoption, cybersecurity needs to become a fundamental pillar of digital transformation, allowing businesses to innovate with confidence while staying ahead of increasingly complex threats.”
The company exhibited AI-powered security innovations including WSS AI, for advanced web shell detection, and WARSS, for real-time website defacement recovery.
Over two days, GITEX Ai Türkiye linked Türkiye’s technology ecosystem with the international GITEX network, reinforcing connections to global technology, capital, and expertise while opening fresh avenues for business and worldwide growth. The next edition of GITEX AI Türkiye is scheduled for 15–16 September 2027.
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