GITEX Ai Türkiye will open in Istanbul on September 9, 2026, putting the spotlight on the country’s national AI talent drive. The two-day event, running through September 10 at Istanbul Expo Centre, is Türkiye’s most international tech and AI gathering to date.

Türkiye aims to train 10,000 AI specialists, 100,000 AI application professionals, and five million AI-literate citizens by 2028. This goal sits within the country’s 2026–2030 AI Action Plan, which also links to a broader multi-billion-dollar national investment strategy. As a result, GITEX Ai Türkiye will bring together global tech companies, engineering institutions, technoparks, academia, government bodies, and investors.

More than 300 exhibiting companies and startups will take part. In addition, organisers expect 150 global speakers and 100 investors managing a combined $100 billion in assets. Thousands of visitors are also expected to attend, connecting Türkiye’s growing technology and talent landscape with global expertise and capital.

Meanwhile, several organisations will highlight the skills and partnerships needed as AI adoption speeds up. The Royal Academy of Engineering, the UK’s national academy for engineering and technology, will offer an international view on AI talent development. Senior Programme Manager Gaëlle Elisha said future engineers will need more than technical skills. According to her, “systems thinking, ethics, security, governance and human-centred design will be just as important.” The Academy will support 14 engineering innovators at the event and help bring together a delegation from 21 countries across Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and Europe.

Industry leaders are also shaping the conversation around AI skills. Yetkin Aksoy, General Manager of Mobiliz, a Turkish mobility technology firm, noted that AI-powered mobility depends on multidisciplinary teams. These teams span software engineering, data science, product expertise, and industry knowledge, he explained. Mobiliz builds this capability in-house through its Arborn initiative.

Similarly, Ersin Büyükyılmaz, CEO of Treomind, an enterprise infrastructure company, pointed to a broader skills gap. He said organisations need professionals who can connect data governance, AI infrastructure, and cloud systems together. Treomind addresses this through multidisciplinary teams covering AI, data, cloud, cybersecurity, and infrastructure.

Berat Kjamili, Co-Founder of DotsHub and President of Kodluyoruz, will speak during the conference programme at GITEX Ai Türkiye. He identified AI engineering and AI-agent deployment as among the most urgent skill needs. His session on chatbots and AI workforces will explore how agentic AI is changing enterprise operations. Kodluyoruz has already worked with IBM to train 20,000 people in cybersecurity and AI. Past partnerships with Microsoft and Harvard University reached roughly 200,000 people as well.

Technoparks are also playing a key role in preparing industry-ready talent. Türkiye now has 114 technoparks, more than 13,000 technology startups, and over 1,700 R&D and design centres. These hubs help turn education into practical experience, jobs, and entrepreneurship.

YTÜ Yıldız Technopark, linked to Yıldız Technical University, will exhibit at the event. It allows students to work on company challenges and turn ideas into business models. Its YTU Startup House has organised a Llama Hackathon with Meta and runs a Microsoft accelerator for AI startups. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Muhammet Garip, the technopark’s General Manager, said the goal is to build entrepreneurs who can develop and commercialise AI globally.

Likewise, Medeniyet Technopark, affiliated with Istanbul Medeniyet University, connects AI education to employment. Its Teknokampüs programme gives students and graduates AI and robotics training before they pitch projects to companies. General Manager Ali Ramazan Tak said talent development should be treated as core innovation infrastructure, not a by-product.

Finally, GITEX Ai Türkiye is hosted by Türkiye’s Investment and Finance Office, in partnership with the Ministry of Industry and Technology. The event is organised by inD, a joint venture between Dubai World Trade Centre and Informa. International exhibitors include Google Cloud, HPE & NVIDIA, Huawei, ASUS, Dell Technologies, SAP, and TrendAI. Regional participants include Trendyol, Andevos, and Halkbank. Altogether, GITEX Ai Türkiye highlights how Türkiye’s talent base is stepping onto the global AI stage.

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