In line with the vision of the National Technology Initiative, simultaneous graduation ceremonies were held across Türkiye for students who successfully completed their training at the DENEYAP Technology Workshops, established to nurture the technology stars of the future.

Between 2019 and 2025, a total of 9,490 students completed their three-year education in 11 different technology fields, celebrating their graduation with great enthusiasm on November 1–2, 2025, during ceremonies held simultaneously in all 81 provinces of Türkiye.

The DENEYAP Technology Workshops are carried out in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry and Technology, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, TÜBİTAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye), and the Turkish Technology Team (T3) Foundation. The program aims to equip young people across Türkiye with technology production skills, foster innovative thinking, and contribute to the country’s National Technology Initiative.
 

A Joyful Graduation Ceremony in Istanbul

Among the nationwide graduation ceremonies held simultaneously across 81 provinces, one of the largest and most vibrant events took place in Istanbul, at the Bahçelievler Şehit Mustafa Özel Sports Complex.

Approximately 3,000 attendees gathered as 1,000 students celebrated the pride of completing their three-year educational journey.

The ceremony was attended by Selçuk Bayraktar, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the T3 Foundation and Chairman of the TEKNOFEST Board, Mehmet Fatih Kacır, Minister of Industry and Technology, Osman Aşkın Bak, Minister of Youth and Sports, Davut Gül, Governor of Istanbul, as well as T3 Foundation executives, graduates, and their families. Participants shared the collective pride of witnessing students grow into individuals who will contribute to Türkiye’s National Technology Initiative.

Selçuk Bayraktar, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the T3 Foundation and Chairman of the TEKNOFEST Board, said in his speech at the graduation ceremony: “As a member of this great journey and a devoted participant in the National Technology Initiative, I am proud to witness this beautiful moment when you reap the fruits of your hard work. Today, we are not only looking at our graduating students, but also at the hope, the dream, and the future of a nation. Across all 81 provinces of Türkiye, we are experiencing great enthusiasm. The seeds we planted in 2018 have now grown into mighty plane trees.”

Exactly 9,490 of our young people—from Edirne to Hakkari, across every corner of our country, in cities like Istanbul, Ankara, and Gaziantep—have successfully completed their training at the DENEYAP Technology Workshops and earned the right to graduate. As your elder brother and companion on this journey, I would like to emphasize an even more valuable achievement: you have gained lifelong friendships and teammates who will stand beside you in the groundbreaking endeavors that will one day leave a mark on the world.

Never lose the team spirit and friendships you have built in these workshops. Embrace the mentors, brothers, and sisters who have guided you within the DENEYAP ecosystem, as well as the peers who have walked this path alongside you. Consider them as members of your own family. The driving force behind our most important cause, the National Technology Initiative, is precisely this spirit of unity and teamwork.

The ultimate goal of this initiative is to build a fully independent Türkiye—one that develops technology, transforms paradigms, and shapes the game itself. You are both the core and the spirit of this great movement.

My Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Your signatures will shape the future of this beautiful nation. Now is the time to dream even bigger. Your KIZILELMA in life is shining on the horizon. Keep questioning and stay curious. Push boundaries. Break paradigms. Never fear failure and never give up. Above all, believe in yourselves as the children of this nation. With what you have learned here, continue to form your own teams at TEKNOFEST. As DENEYAP graduates, my request to you is to mentor the brothers and sisters who will come after you—to carry this torch forward without letting it fade. It is an honor to stand among you. May your graduation be auspicious for our nation and our homeland.

May our path be clear and our vision ever bright.”

Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır also addressed the youth in his speech, saying:

“Our civilization is built upon the divine command: ‘Read in the name of your Lord who created.’ This sacred message, at its core, calls for understanding and interpreting the universe. Beyond companionship with books, it tells us to imagine, to wonder, to explore, to research, and to innovate. Can it ever be conceivable for the members of such a civilization to remain distant from science?

Just as no civilization can rise without a rich climate of thought and science, it cannot sustain its strength and influence either. Our own history—and the history of humanity—are filled with examples that reveal this truth through experience. Therefore, in an age when humanity seems to be seeking a way forward, we must once again embrace the blessings of scientific inquiry and hold fast to the wisdom in our Prophet’s saying: ‘Knowledge is the lost property of the believer; wherever he finds it, he should take it.’

There is now a Türkiye that builds the future with unshakable faith in its own children. A Türkiye that pioneers the National Technology Initiative, developing domestic and national technologies in every field—from artificial intelligence to biotechnology, from nanotechnology to advanced manufacturing. I believe that as long as we continue to unite our labor with our intellect, the realization of the historic mission we carry for the future of humanity will become ever more possible.”

“We believe in you. We trust you. Together, we are breaking records at TEKNOFEST. We have no doubt that you will raise our flag even higher. On our journey toward the National Technology Initiative, you are our most precious treasure. With this understanding, we continue to take steps that enable our youth to engage with science and technology, and to lead new initiatives in every field. One of the most valuable projects we have realized with this vision is the DENEYAP Technology Workshops. Today, DENEYAP stands as a true source of pride—both for the impact it has created in our country and for the influence it is beginning to have around the world. May your path be bright.”

Before us stands a generation full of energy. We are proud of you — you are amazing,” said Minister of Youth and Sports Osman Aşkın Bak as he began his speech at the ceremony, and continued:

“You have worked hard in the DENEYAP Workshops. We thank the instructors who devoted their efforts to you in our Youth Centers, in collaboration with our Ministry of Industry and Technology and the T3 Foundation. We also thank your families for their support. What is being accomplished here is truly remarkable. You are ready to take part in Türkiye’s technological journey. In the future, it will be these engineers and software developers who will achieve great things and help build a stronger Türkiye in our region. We are all witnessing this together — and will continue to do so.

Together, we will keep producing for this country, working for this nation, and striving for a stronger Türkiye. I am also a mechanical engineer, and the mission being carried out under these conditions fills us with pride. The vision and successful efforts demonstrated at TEKNOFEST are empowering this generation of young people.

And now, we applaud the TEKNOFEST generation. The Türkiye of the future will be even stronger. We thank everyone who contributed.

Congratulations on your DENEYAP Türkiye graduation!”
 

The Technology Stars of the Future Are Being Trained at DENEYAP

The three-year DENEYAP Technology Workshops program consists of hands-on training designed to help students gain competence in fields that shape technology. Throughout the program, students develop design-oriented thinking, production, and problem-solving skills, while also gaining experience in teamwork, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

Within the workshops, students receive training in 11 different technology fields, ranging from software technologies to artificial intelligence, from electronic programming to robotic systems, and from cybersecurity to energy technologies. This educational model enables young people not only to consume technology but also to become individuals who produce and develop it.
 

A Strong Contribution to the National Technology Initiative

DENEYAP Technology Workshops introduce young people across Türkiye to technology production, contributing qualified human resources to the nation’s domestic and national technology ecosystem. Reaching tens of thousands of students to date, the project helps young individuals develop the knowledge, skills, and self-confidence necessary to shape the technologies of the future.

As one of the leading initiatives of the National Technology Initiative, DENEYAP Technology Workshops continue to strengthen Türkiye’s technological independence with an ever-growing network of graduates.