President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday emphasised that expertise represents not solely growth and prosperity but in addition independence, safety, and sovereignty, praising Teknofest as an emblem of Türkiye’s technological transformation and the potential of its youth.
Addressing a cheering crowd at Türkiye’s largest aviation and expertise showcase within the southern province of Adana, Erdoğan highlighted the nation’s painful historical past of overseas dependence, notably within the protection trade.
He underscored the significance of the National Technology Initiative, describing Teknofest as extra than simply a place to begin for the nation’s technological developments.
The five-day competition, which started on Wednesday, showcases Türkiye’s rising ambitions and increasing capabilities in expertise and protection. Since its inception in 2018, Teknofest has change into an emblem of the nation’s technological aspirations, attracting a whole lot of hundreds of holiday makers annually.
From competitions and air reveals to exhibitions and superior expertise simulations, the occasion presents one thing for everybody.
The occasion is organized by the Turkish Technology Team Foundation (T3) and the Industry and Technology Ministry, with participation from 128 establishments, together with authorities our bodies, tech corporations, universities and media organizations.
Shift to world exporter
Teknofest serves as an important platform for nurturing younger entrepreneurs. Over the years, it has helped launch quite a few startups, and officers hope it should proceed to gas Türkiye’s ambition to change into a number one participant within the world expertise panorama.
“Building the future starts with imagining tomorrow,” Erdoğan mentioned, stressing the pivotal position visionary figures from the previous performed in shaping Türkiye’s present technological trajectory.
The president famous the challenges Türkiye has confronted over the previous 22 years, from worldwide embargoes to inside sabotage, asserting that not one of the nation’s achievements got here simply.
“We have battled obstacles, endured double standards, and faced betrayal, but we prevailed through our own strength, with sweat on our brows and courage in our hearts,” he mentioned.
One of Erdoğan’s key factors was Türkiye’s transformation from a nation reliant on overseas protection applied sciences to a worldwide exporter.
“Those who once refused to sell us defense products now buy from us,” he remarked.
Tribute to Özdemir Bayraktar
Erdoğan additionally paid tribute to Özdemir Bayraktar, a pioneering determine in Türkiye’s drone growth, who handed away in October 2021. Bayraktar was the founder and chairperson of Turkish drone large Baykar.
His sons, Selçuk and Haluk Bayraktar, now lead the corporate, which has gained worldwide recognition for its fight drones just like the Bayraktar TB2, which performed a decisive position in conflicts in Azerbaijan, Libya, and Ukraine.
“The fact that our combat drones are now proudly representing Türkiye in over 50 countries is largely thanks to Özdemir Bayraktar’s visionary efforts,” Erdoğan mentioned.
He urged the following technology to proceed these strides, declaring, “You are Türkiye’s future, its hope. My only request is that you never give up on your dreams, no matter the obstacles you face.”
Erdoğan inspired the youth to disregard naysayers and persevere. “Patience is bitter, but its fruit is always sweet,” he mentioned.
Türkiye’ worlds aside from the previous’
Reflecting on Türkiye’s progress over the previous 20 years, Erdoğan proclaimed that the nation is now unrecognizable in comparison with its state 22 years in the past. “In defense, education, and technology, we are living in a Türkiye that is worlds apart from the past,” he mentioned.
The president cited a number of statistics as an instance this transformation: Türkiye surpassed $1.1 trillion in GDP for the primary time final 12 months, whereas its exterior dependence within the protection trade has dropped to only 20%, down from 80% years in the past.
“We are now among the top three countries in the world in unmanned aerial vehicles,” he famous. Erdoğan additionally pointed to the creation of over 1,300 analysis and growth (R&D) facilities and 104 expertise parks throughout the nation.
“Just 22 years ago, we had two technoparks; today, we have 104, where tens of thousands of projects are shaping our future,” he added.
Dependency ‘not Türkiye’s future’
Returning to Teknofest, Erdoğan lauded the occasion as a “youthful saga” and a “technological revolution,” pushed by the power and beliefs of younger minds throughout Türkiye.
“Teknofest proves that dependency on others is not our destiny,” he mentioned.
Since its inception in 2018, Teknofest has grown exponentially.
“In 2018, we started with just 4,333 teams and 20,000 competitors. Last year, in Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir, over 333,000 teams and 1 million participants took part, drawing 4.5 million visitors,” Erdoğan famous.
This 12 months’s version options 50 competitions throughout fields starting from drone racing to nuclear power design. More than 1.65 million rivals utilized to take part this 12 months, Erdoğan mentioned.
Source: www.dailysabah.com