Türkiye's premier defense, aviation and technology festival, Teknofest, is set to kick off later this week with a first edition that will take place in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), gathering dozens of teams and tech enthusiasts for competitions, air exhibits and workshops.
Under the leadership of the Turkish Technology Team Foundation (T3 Foundation) and the Industry and Technology Ministry and under the auspices of the Presidency of the TRNC, Teknofest TRNC will open its doors to visitors on May 1 at the old Ercan Airport in Lefkoşa (Nicosia).
The event, which in the past was held in several Turkish cities and the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, will run through May 4.
More than 47,000 competitors from 22 different countries applied to participate at this year's Teknofest in the TRNC, according to a report by the Anadolu Agency (AA) on Monday. In addition to Türkiye and TRNC, countries such as Afghanistan, Germany, Albania, Australia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Burundi, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Mali, Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia and Uzbekistan also submitted applications.
A total of 268 teams and 1,083 team members qualified as finalists for Teknofest TRNC. The competitions will be held in six main categories and 13 sub-categories.
The festival will feature several competitions, including "Social Innovation," "Flying Car Simulation," "Tourism Technologies," "Teknofest Robolig Blue Homeland," "Teknofest TRNC Research Project," as well as the Teknofest Drone Championship.
T3 Foundation Chairperson Elvan Kuzucu Hıdır, speaking to AA, said there is a deep-rooted brotherhood between Türkiye and the TRNC, and they wish to strengthen this bond through science and technology.
Hıdır emphasized that they aim for the vision of the "National Technology Initiative" to resonate not only within Türkiye but also among friendly and brotherly regions.
"In this regard, in 2022, we organized Teknofest outside of Türkiye for the first time in Azerbaijan. Holding Teknofest in the brotherly land of the TRNC after Azerbaijan is part of this important strategy. We believe that the TRNC is an important and meaningful stop for us," she explained.
She added that both competitions and various activities await the youth at the festival site, adding that they aim to have a rich and nice festival experience in the TRNC.
Hıdır also underlined their belief that Teknofest would send a strong message to the world from the TRNC. "Especially the Turkic world and friendly countries are coming together around science and technology. We plan to create a platform where Teknofest youth from there will produce their own technologies and deliver significant messages to the world," she noted.
Diverse activities from an air vehicles exhibition, a planetarium, stage shows, the "first flight" experience for students flying for the first time, and concerts will be offered to visitors as part of the TRNC Teknofest event.
Flight shows will also be conducted at the festival, featuring demonstrations by SOLOTÜRK, the Turkish Stars, F-4 fighter jets, Atak helicopters, Hürkuş, and the Bayraktar TB2 and Akıncı drones.
Top Turkish defense firms, from STM to Aselsan, which this year marks the 50th anniversary of its establishment, will meanwhile also display their products, models, and latest technologies to visitors and youth at Teknofest.
Entry to Teknofest TRNC is free of charge. However, visitors must register through Teknofest’s website to gain access. Each participant must have a separate ticket, though children under the age of 7 do not require registration.
Visitor entry and exit to the festival grounds will be allowed between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.
