The key facts

  • Turkey's defense and aerospace exports in 2025 exceeded $10 billion, with deliveries to 180 countries and regions — according to Erdogan
  • Goal: 100,000 tech startups by 2030 with a combined valuation of $100 billion; Ataturk Airport terminals are being transformed into the Terminal Istanbul hub
  • On the fund investigations, Erdogan said the problem had been 'brought under control' since September 17 and warned against discrediting the entire capital market

Exports and Technology Infrastructure

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at the Türkiye Innovation Week 2026 event in Istanbul that in 2025 the country exported defense and aerospace products worth more than $10 billion to 180 countries and regions. According to him, under the national technology initiative, Turkey has built an R&D and innovation infrastructure that 'only a handful of countries in the world possess.' He emphasized efforts to expand research capabilities, support tech startups, and accelerate the transition to high value-added manufacturing, calling investment in advanced technologies 'not a choice, but a necessity.'

Startup Goals and Terminal Istanbul

Erdogan said Turkey aims to create 100,000 technology startups by 2030 with a combined valuation of $100 billion. He also said that the terminals of Istanbul's Ataturk Airport are being transformed into the world's largest technology and entrepreneurship hub under the Terminal Istanbul brand.

Investment Fund Investigations

Touching on the investigations related to investment funds, Erdogan said that since September 17 the authorities have taken decisive steps and 'brought the problem under control.' 'We are conducting the operation with the precision of a surgeon,' he said, adding that work to hold accountable those who gained unfair profits through manipulation is ongoing, taking court proceedings into account. He warned against using the investigations to discredit Turkey's capital market as a whole: in his words, it is wrong to 'criminalize the entire capital market because of a stock market problem,' and using an issue affecting 4.6% of funds to sow fear about all capital market instruments would undermine the Turkish economy.