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Türkiye’s largest technology festival, TEKNOFEST 2025, opened in İstanbul on Wednesday. The five-day event is organised by the Türkiye Technology Team (T3) Foundation in cooperation with the Ministry of Industry and Technology.
In his opening remarks, TEKNOFEST Chairman Selçuk Bayraktar said that the main objective of the National Technology Initiative is to secure the country’s full independence and prosperity. He stressed that advanced technology plays a decisive role in progress across all sectors, including health, agriculture, transport, and communications.
This year, a record number of applications were registered, with 1.1 million participants competing in 64 categories, including 13 contests introduced for the first time.
Bayraktar said, “At TEKNOFEST, it is not only ideas that stand out, but also the hands and minds of the young people who will bring them to life. These projects will lay the foundations of tomorrow’s technology companies.”
Local platforms showcased
Among the highlights was the presentation of Türkiye’s new social media platform, NSosyal, developed through youth initiatives. According to Bayraktar, the platform enables free exchange of ideas and is designed as an alternative to global digital monopolies.
In addition, the “Küre” Digital Encyclopaedia was unveiled. Developed over one and a half years by the T3 Foundation and the KÜME Foundation, it is introduced as an open-source, Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered knowledge base.
Focus on Gaza
Bayraktar also touched upon the humanitarian situation in Gaza, saying the events there are a matter of concern for all humanity. He added that the National Technology Initiative is not solely about technical progress, but also about combining technology with moral values.
Asian stocks surged on Thursday as some vessels resumed passage through the Strait of Hormuz, while forecast-beating results at Nvidia and a suspended workers' strike at Samsung Electronics lifted shares of chipmakers.
Day four of the World Urban Forum (WUF) in Baku brings a packed agenda on sustainable cities and the global housing crisis, with sessions on green housing, smart cities, public spaces and urban rights taking place on Wednesday (20 May) at Baku Olympic Stadium in Azerbaijan.
At least 21 people have been killed and thousands evacuated after torrential rain triggered flooding, landslides and transport disruption across southern and central China, with authorities warning that more heavy rainfall is expected along the Yangtze River.
Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya warned on Tuesday (19 May) that Moscow could retaliate against Baltic states if Ukraine launches military drones from that region. Latvia, the United States and Ukraine responded strongly during a UN Security Council meeting.
Russia is considering the possibility of joint projects with the United States and China, Kirill Dmitriev, Head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, (Russia's sovereign wealth fund), was quoted as saying by state media on Wednesday.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will attend a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in the Swedish city of Helsingborg on Thursday and Friday, diplomatic sources said.
The penultimate day of the World Urban Forum 13 in Baku will see Azerbaijan's Pavilion highlight post-construction efforts in Garabagh and East Zangezur, as well as host events on the future of Baku and architectural education.
Israeli police have come under criticism after footage showed activists from a Gaza-bound aid flotilla kneeling on the ground with their hands tied behind their backs following their detention by Israeli forces.
Passenger rail services between Baku and Tbilisi are expected to resume in 2026, after being suspended in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and regional border restrictions.
Tajik scientists have warned that glaciers in the Pamir Mountains are melting at an alarming rate, including in high-altitude areas previously considered relatively stable, following the country’s first direct winter glacier measurements since independence.
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