Türkiye's largest aerospace and technology festival, Teknofest, is expanding this year to highlight the country's naval capabilities and advanced technologies in a special maritime-themed edition.
The "Teknofest Blue Homeland" will be held at the Istanbul Naval Shipyard Command from Aug. 28-31, bringing together technology enthusiasts and defense industry professionals to focus on maritime innovation.
On Sunday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan greeted Turkish Navy ships, including the nation's largest indigenously developed warship, TCG Anadolu, as they passed through the Bosporus during a naval parade as part of the festival.
The parade also featured the iconic TCG Savarona, once the presidential yacht of modern Türkiye's founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, now serving as a Turkish Navy training ship.
"Blue Homeland journey with our strong and powerful navy during our Victory Week, etched in history in golden letters," Erdoğan wrote on the Turkish social media platform Next Sosyal.
The event opens to the public Aug. 30-31, with visits organized in three daily sessions.
The program will highlight unmanned maritime and underwater technologies, featuring competitions such as the unmanned underwater systems contest, submarine rocket contest, and unmanned surface vehicle contest.
Visitors can tour some of Türkiye's most advanced naval vessels, including the aircraft carrier TCG Anadolu, TCG Istanbul, TCG Burgazada anti-submarine corvette, TCG Oruçreis frigate, TCG Nusret minelayer, and the TCG Sakarya and TCG Hızırreis submarines.
The festival will also feature virtual reality exhibits, demonstrations by elite naval commando units SAT and SAS, the "Blue Homeland Time Tunnel" and other exhibitions.
To engage younger generations, the festival will host essay and art competitions focused on Türkiye's maritime jurisdiction, national security, and geopolitical vision. Elementary and middle school students can express the "Blue Homeland" theme through creative artwork, with winners receiving special tours aboard TCG Sakarya, TCG Hızırreis, and the TCG Savarona, Teknofest Chairman Selçuk Bayraktar announced on NSosyal.
Since its inception in 2018, Teknofest has become a symbol of Türkiye's technological ambitions, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. The festival has helped launch numerous startups, and officials hope it will continue to fuel Türkiye's goal of becoming a global tech leader.
Organized by the Industry and Technology Ministry and the Türkiye Technology Team Foundation (T3 Vakfı), the event features competitions in rocket design, unmanned aerial vehicles, artificial intelligence, blockchain, and underwater technologies. New contests this year include architectural and visual design, unmanned ground vehicles, and an international science contest for children.
Beyond competitions, Teknofest hosts exhibitions, air shows, workshops, and panels that bring together students, entrepreneurs, and tech enthusiasts. The festival is held in various Turkish cities in even-numbered years and in Istanbul in odd-numbered years.
This year's Istanbul edition will be held from Sept. 17 through Sept. 21.
