Turkey's first tech fest kicks off in Istanbul

By Jeyhun Aliyev

ANKARA

Turkey’s first aerospace and technology festival kicked off at the new Istanbul airport on Thursday.

Teknofest Istanbul, organized by the Turkey Technology Team Foundation (T3) and the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, aims to promote and showcase Turkey's rapid advance in technology.

Anadolu Agency is the global communication partner of the festival.

The four-day fair will feature air shows, aviation demonstrations, technology competitions, seminars on cutting-edge technology, and an international entrepreneurship summit along with other activities, according to the Teknofest website.

As part of the festival, the leading Turkish defense and technology institutions and corporations such as Aselsan, Baykar, IGA, Isbak, Roketsan, TAI, Turkish Airlines, TUBITAK and TURKSAT will organize competitions in 12 different categories.

Moreover, an international "Take-Off Istanbul" start-up summit, the "HackIstanbul 2018 Capture the Flag" contest -- to gather thousands of hackers from 132 countries worldwide -- and the "World Drone Cup" tournament will be held on the sidelines of the festival.

Around 750 teams and over 2,000 competitors are expected to attend the technology competitions.

The event is also supported by Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT), and government bodies, private companies and academic institutions, as well.