Teknofest İzmir attracts over 1.1 mln science enthusiasts

İZMİR

More than 1.1 million science enthusiasts have visited this year's third and final installment of Türkiye’s largest technology and space event Teknofest during its five-day run in the western province of İzmir.

"We concluded the grand finale of Teknofest 2023 in the beautiful city of İzmir. Over the course of five days, 1.1 million people joined us at Teknofest Izmir. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the visitors who accompanied us on this remarkable journey," said a statement from the organization's official social media account.

Teknofest - held three times for the first time this year - attracted approximately 4.5 million people across its three editions in Istanbul, the capital Ankara and İzmir, with nearly 10 million visitors welcomed by the festival since its inaugural event in 2018, said Haluk Bayraktar, the general manager of Turkish defense industry firm Baykar.

"Since our inception in 2018, each passing year has seen an increasing number of young minds accompanying us on this journey. To date, nine editions of Teknofest have witnessed 2 million young compatriots participating with their innovative projects. More than 9 million visitors have graced Teknofest, thereby inhaling the air of Türkiye’s future," said Selçuk Bayraktar, chairman of festival organizer the Turkish Technology Team (T3) Foundation, during the closing ceremony of the İzmir edition on Oct. 2.

Taking place at Çiğli Airport from Sept. 27 to Oct. 1, Teknofest İzmir featured a diverse array of technology and space-themed events, ranging from technology and entrepreneurship competitions to educational workshops, from exhibitions to a series of concerts.

In the meantime, the head of electric carmaker Tesla, Elon Musk thanked President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for his invitation to Teknofest, as he congratulated all the teams competing in the festival. “I look forward to attending in person next year, as well as discussing further opportunities for investment in Türkiye,” he said in a social media post.

Additionally, Türkiye's domestic air defense products, including Hürkuş, Gökbey, Aksungur, Bayraktar TB2, Akıncı, Atak and Anka, graced the event with aerial displays. The festival's energy was elevated by parachute teams affiliated with the Turkish army and police, showcasing daring jumps.

To mark the centenary of the Republic of Türkiye, this year the event was held at three different sites in Türkiye's largest cities.