The World’s Largest Aviation, Space, and Technology Festival TEKNOFEST was held this year with the theme of “Blue Homeland” between August 28-31 at Istanbul Naval Shipyard Command.
Open to the public between August 29-31, the event welcomed approximately 175,000 visitors over three days, bringing together technology and defense industry enthusiasts with a focus on maritime. Hundreds of thousands of visitors who filled the festival area participated with great excitement and interest in all activities—from technology competitions to stage shows, breathtaking performances to inspiring conferences.
Competitions Shaping the Future of the Seas
The final stage of the Blue Homeland Competitions, hosted by Istanbul Naval Shipyard Command, showcased innovative projects in maritime technologies. This year, competitions were held in three categories: Unmanned Underwater Systems, Unmanned Surface Vehicles, and the Underwater Rocket Competition. A total of 2,698 teams applied, with 86 teams and 1,000 finalists making it to the finals after the preliminary rounds, competing fiercely for the top spots.
President Erdoğan at TEKNOFEST Blue Homeland
On the opening day of the festival, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan paid a visit. In his speech highlighting Victory Week, he said:
“Today, we are here at our Istanbul Shipyard Command. In two days, we will celebrate the 103rd anniversary of the Victory of August 30. In other words, we are truly honoring our Victory Week in the best possible way. Here, the flagship of our navy, TCG Anadolu, will also be open to visitors. Now, we are building something even greater; God willing, this won’t be the last.”
Addressing the youth, Erdoğan added:
“We will not stop until we make this century the Century of Türkiye. With patience, determination, and sincerity, we will keep working.”
August 30 Victory Day Enthusiasm
The third day of TEKNOFEST Blue Homeland coincided with the celebration of August 30 Victory Day. Thousands of citizens flocked to the Istanbul Naval Shipyard Command to celebrate the day and to see the naval vessels and leading products of Türkiye’s defense industry. Türkiye’s largest military vessel, TCG Anadolu, attracted huge attention from visitors.
A Festival Filled with Shows and Events
In addition to technology competitions, a variety of events created unforgettable moments for visitors. Within the scope of TEKNOFEST Blue Homeland Conferences, Prof. Dr. Erhan Afyoncu and Prof. Dr. İlber Ortaylı delivered a lecture on the Mediterranean and Ottoman Maritime History.
Special demonstrations by the Underwater Attack (SAT) and Underwater Defense (SAS) Commands, a mehter band concert, science shows, theater performances, dragon boat races, and choir performances were met with great admiration. Prize-winning quizzes, tug-of-war, rope throwing, and rope pulling competitions kept the festival area buzzing with excitement for four days. Moreover, the stands of partner and participant companies drew significant interest throughout the festival.
The Pride of the Seas: Our Ships Met Visitors at Blue Homeland
The pride of Türkiye’s navy welcomed thousands of visitors during TEKNOFEST Blue Homeland. Visitors had the chance to tour TCG Akhisar, TCG Alemdar, TCG Alanya, TCG Anadolu, TCG Atak, TCG Burgazada, TCG Ç-151, TCG Istanbul, TCG Nusret, TCG Oruçreis, and TCSG Güven. They also had the opportunity to see TCG SAVARONA, the cherished legacy of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
A special tour of SAVARONA was organized for the families and children of martyrs. Children of martyrs, walking through one of Atatürk’s most precious legacies, experienced deeply emotional moments aboard the ship.
Festival Concluded with the Award Ceremony
TEKNOFEST Blue Homeland concluded with young participants receiving their awards at the closing ceremony. The Award Ceremony was attended by TEKNOFEST Chairman of the Board Selçuk Bayraktar and Commander of the Turkish Naval Forces, Admiral Dr. Ercüment Tatlıoğlu. Both Bayraktar and Tatlıoğlu presented the awards to the young winners on stage and delivered the closing speeches of the event.
Awards were presented to the winners of the Unmanned Underwater Systems Competition, Underwater Rocket Competition, TEKNOFEST Blue Homeland Essay Contest, TEKNOFEST Blue Homeland Painting Contest, as well as rowing, tug-of-war, rope throwing, and rope pulling competitions.
