Investment and Finance Office of the Presidency of Türkiye, the Ministry of Industry and Technology and KAOUN International have formed a partnership to launch GITEX Ai Türkiye, set to take place in Istanbul in September 2026. The agreement was signed during GITEX GLOBAL 2025 in Dubai.
The signing ceremony featured Investment and Finance Office Head of Communications Department Gökhan Yücel, Director General of National Technology at the Ministry of Industry and Technology Sadullah Uzun, and KAOUN International CEO Trixie LohMirmand. Türkiye's Ambassador to the UAE Lütfullah Göktaş and Consul General in Dubai Onur SAYLAN, alongside senior public officials, technopark leaders, venture capital fund representatives, technology companies, and scaling startups from both Türkiye and the UAE, also attended.
Commenting on the significance of the event, Investment and Finance Office Head of Communications Department Gökhan Yücel said: “With Türkiye on a mission to position itself as the nexus of the global AI movement, GITEX Ai Türkiye is where capital meets code—accelerating homegrown models and strengthening our digital infrastructure."
Yücel further highlighted Türkiye's rapidly expanding AI ecosystem, “The base is real and investable; 1,059 active AI startups (Q3 2025), over 1,300 certified R&D and design centers, and nearly 12,000 companies across 106 Technology Development Zones. High and medium-high-tech exports have surpassed USD 100 billion. In 2024 alone, quality FDI projects brought USD 10 billion in capex commitments."
Director General of National Technology at the Ministry of Industry and Technology Sadullah Uzun emphasized the strategic importance of the initiative, “The fact that GITEX Ai Türkiye will be held in our country is a clear demonstration of the maturity of our technology ecosystem and the trust Türkiye inspires internationally. With our strong production base, skilled talent pool, and dynamic entrepreneurship ecosystem, Türkiye is fully prepared to host this major global event in line with our National Technology Initiative."
Scheduled for September 9–10, 2026 at the Istanbul Expo Centre, GITEX Ai Türkiye aims to become the most global gathering in Türkiye and Eurasia to accelerate adoption, investment, and partnerships in AI. The event will bring the success of Dubai's global GITEX platform—which convened over 6,800 tech companies, 2,000 startups, and leaders from over 180 countries in 2025—into the heart of Türkiye's technology ecosystem.