Turkey leads with high-tech devices at Teknofest

ISTANBUL

Turkey's largest technology and aerospace fair Teknofest, not only displays technological achievements, but also validates country’s march over other countries in producing vehicles and equipment indigenously.

More so, technological marvels have been produced using Turkey’s own national resources, said an expert, who visited the festival in Istanbul.

“Vehicles produced by Turkey in recent years have burst us with pride,” social media specialist Deniz Ünay told Anadolu Agency.

Turkey’s technological progress is visible almost in every field, especially in the production of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). They have put the country a step ahead of other nations, Ünay said.

Referring to Akıncı, which is Turkey’s latest armed UAV, he said the country produces better UAVs than other advanced countries.

The Akıncı with nearly 1.5 tons of load can fly at an operational altitude of 40,000 feet and stay in the air for 24 hours.

The Akıncı is equipped with an electronic support pod, air-to-air radars, satellite communication system, barrier-identification radar, synthetic aperture radar, and meteorological radar.

Dubbed as "flying fish”, Akinci can also perform some tasks of warplanes like air bombardment.

The visitors at the Teknofest are lured by Turkey’s indigenously built flying car prototype called Cezeri, designed by drone maker Baykar.

The flying car is named after famous Muslim engineer Al Jazari, who lived between 1136-1206. With a load of one person, it can fly continuously for one hour.

The firm Baykar, established in 1984, produces armed and non-armed drones, control systems, simulators, and avionics systems.

There are many more technological advancements at display at the fair. Two bomb disposal robots, Ertugrul and Kaplan, advanced drone, Serce, battle tank Altay -- considered among the best in the world – are cynosure of all eyes.

Referring to the twin-engine helicopters used by Turkish police, Ünay describes them unique, because of their communication technology and imaging mechanism.

“They are even better than the U.S. police helicopters,” he said, adding that Turkey was a leader in this field. The hardware and the software were developed indigenously.

Erdoğan attends Teknofest

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended Teknofest on Sept. 21.

“I see this place as a platform that shows what our young people can do, even with very limited opportunities in the field of technology,” Erdoğan said.

“This year, Teknofest has broken a record with nearly 17,400 and 2,000 finalists, 50,000 contestant applications and 10,000 finalists in all 81 provinces of Turkey and 122 countries,” he added.

"In the process of technological transformation, we want to be the manufacturer of new technologies, not a market," Erdoğan stressed.

Erdoğan also said the program of leading international researchers will continue in the following years.