Countdown Begins for TEKNOFEST TRNC at Former Ercan Airport

Recognized as the world’s largest Aerospace, Aviation, and Technology Festival, TEKNOFEST is globally partnered with Anadolu Agency (AA) and will welcome participants and visitors over a four-day period.

According to information compiled by AA, more than 47,000 competitors from 22 different countries have applied to participate in TEKNOFEST TRNC. In addition to Turkey and the TRNC, applicants hail from Afghanistan, Germany, Albania, Australia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burundi, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Mali, Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia, and Uzbekistan.

A total of 268 teams with 1,083 members have qualified for the finals, including 334 women and 749 men. The competitions will be held across six main and 13 subcategories.

Festival highlights will include competitions such as "Social Innovation," "Flying Car Simulation," "Tourism Technologies," "TEKNOFEST Robolig Blue Homeland," and the "TEKNOFEST TRNC Research Project" competition, alongside the TEKNOFEST Drone Championship.

Teams from six countries—Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, TRNC, Pakistan, and Turkey—will compete in the finals. Twenty finalist teams and 103 individual finalists will represent the TRNC.

Strengthening Bonds Through Science and Technology

Elvan Kuzucu Hıdır, Chairperson of the T3 Foundation, told AA that the deep-rooted brotherhood between Turkey and the TRNC is something they aim to strengthen through science and technology.

Highlighting that the National Technology Initiative seeks to resonate beyond Turkey’s borders into friendly and brotherly territories, Hıdır recalled that TEKNOFEST was first organized outside Turkey in Azerbaijan in 2022. "Organizing TEKNOFEST in the TRNC following Azerbaijan is part of this important strategy. We believe the TRNC is a significant and meaningful stop in this journey," she said.

Hıdır noted that visitors can expect a full and vibrant festival experience in the TRNC, with competitions and various other activities planned.

She emphasized that TEKNOFEST will deliver a strong message from the TRNC to the world, particularly as Turkish-speaking and friendly countries unite around science and technology, offering a platform where the youth will showcase their technological innovations.

A Wide Range of Activities from the Planetarium to XR Experience Zones

TEKNOFEST TRNC will offer a variety of activities, including an air vehicle exhibition, a planetarium, pedal-powered flight activities, stage shows, the "First Flight" experience for students, and concerts.

The planetarium will provide a journey into the depths of space under a dome, projecting artificial images of the sun, stars, planets, and other celestial bodies onto the ceiling.

In the Extended Reality (XR) Experience Zone, participants will engage with six different XR technologies, allowing them to experience realistic environments as if they were scientists themselves.

Visitors will explore Turkey’s scientific research station in Antarctica through the Turkish Antarctica Research Station XR experience and interact with a virtual Türksat communication satellite, observing how communication is established from space to Earth.

Spectacular Air Shows to Thrill Visitors

Attendees will experience a range of air shows featuring SOLOTÜRK, the Turkish Stars, F-4 fighter jets, ATAK helicopters, HÜRKUŞ, Bayraktar TB2, and AKINCI aircraft.

The festival will also offer simulations inspired by the mission of Astronaut Alper Gezeravcı at the International Space Station (ISS) and a realistic FPV drone flight over iconic landmarks of Istanbul.

In the UAV Exploration and Inspection Area, visitors will interact with a tabletop model of KIZILELMA, experiencing a life-sized and interactive exploration.

Two special mixed-reality games, GUNRUN and 4ELEMENTS, will also feature, providing innovative and physically interactive experiences using XR technology.

Reliving the Cyprus Peace Operation Through an Immersive Experience

Visitors will have the chance to relive the 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation through a specially designed Experience Zone.

Participants will feel the shaking of a transport aircraft while listening to authentic audio recordings of Prime Minister Bülent Ecevit and Deputy Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan announcing the operation. A symbolic parachute jump simulation will allow them to experience key moments from the operation.

The area will feature LED screens on the walls and floor, creating an advanced visual and auditory setup to bring critical moments of the Cyprus Peace Operation to life. Afterward, visitors can have a souvenir photo taken in a specially designed second area powered by artificial intelligence.

Entry to TEKNOFEST TRNC is free of charge, but visitors must register through the TEKNOFEST website. Separate tickets must be created for each participant, although children under the age of seven are exempt from registration.

Visitor entry and exit to the festival area will be allowed between 09:00 and 19