Türkiye presented its AI Vision and Action Plan for 2026–2030 at the Türkiye Artificial Intelligence Summit in Istanbul on 26 June 2026. The official roadmap combines public-sector adoption, infrastructure investment, workforce development, research funding and governance measures.
For international investors, the plan is more useful as a map of intended priorities than as a promise of automatic support. Companies should identify which announced programs apply to their activity, when application rules will become available and what operational commitments will be required.
Four pillars: Discover, Benefit, Produce and Govern
The official announcement organizes the plan around four pillars.
Discover focuses on skills and data. Türkiye aims to provide AI literacy training to five million people within two years, develop 10,000 advanced AI specialists and train 100,000 AI application professionals. A planned National Data Library is expected to make at least 2,000 public datasets available to researchers, entrepreneurs and institutions.
Benefit covers the adoption of AI across public services, industry, healthcare, agriculture and security. The plan targets data-center capacity of at least 1 GW by 2030 and proposes allocating a minimum of 2% of public investment programs to AI projects.
Produce includes AI growth zones, investment-ready campuses, rapid-prototyping facilities and dedicated research and growth funds. It also refers to continuing work on Turkish large language models.
Govern addresses investment coordination and standards. The announcement says at least USD 10 billion—predominantly from the private sector—is expected to be mobilized for AI infrastructure. It also proposes a single-window investment roadmap for international investors within 30 business days.
Where the commercial opportunities may appear
The clearest opportunity areas include data centers, cloud and computing infrastructure, energy and cooling systems, cybersecurity, enterprise software, industrial automation, applied AI services, workforce training and data governance.
Demand may also emerge from companies that need to adapt existing operations rather than build AI products from the beginning. Manufacturers, logistics operators, financial institutions, healthcare providers and property businesses may require local integration, compliant data processes and sector-specific automation.
These are broad directions. An investor should not assume that every technology project qualifies for an AI growth zone, public procurement opportunity or funding program. Eligibility, location, procurement conditions, data rules and implementation schedules need to be verified against the detailed program documentation.
Why infrastructure and location matter
AI investment is not only a software decision. Data-center projects depend on reliable power, network capacity, suitable land, cooling, construction permissions, environmental considerations and operational resilience. Technology teams also need access to talent, universities, suppliers and international transport.
Istanbul is identified as Türkiye’s international AI showcase and investment-diplomacy hub, with Terminal İstanbul positioned as a meeting point for entrepreneurs and global investors. Other cities and organized technology zones may still be appropriate depending on energy demand, incentives, cost and workforce requirements.
Property selection should therefore follow the technical feasibility study. A prestigious address cannot compensate for unsuitable power capacity, connectivity, zoning or expansion constraints.
A due-diligence checklist
Before committing capital, investors should clarify:
- Which part of the action plan directly relates to the proposed activity?
- Is the project primarily software, infrastructure, research, training or industrial adoption?
- What are the power, connectivity, data-residency and security requirements?
- Are incentives tied to a particular zone, investment scale or employment target?
- Which approvals, licenses or public-procurement rules may apply?
- How will intellectual property and personal or sector-sensitive data be managed?
- Which claims still depend on secondary regulations or program announcements?
- What local entity, team and property footprint will be required?
The bottom line
Türkiye’s 2026–2030 AI Action Plan signals a coordinated effort to expand infrastructure, talent, adoption and investment. Its value for an international company will depend on matching a real commercial project to the detailed rules and resources that follow.
SmartKeyTurkey recommends separating the analysis into technology feasibility, legal and data compliance, incentives, workforce and property requirements. Decisions about an office, campus or technical facility should be made only after those workstreams are aligned.
Source: Investment and Finance Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye, 26 June 2026.
This article provides general information and is not legal, tax, technology, investment or data-protection advice. Targets, programs and eligibility requirements may change. Verify current details with the relevant authorities and qualified advisers. AI-assisted draft; pending human editorial review.
This information is general and does not replace legal, tax, technical or investment advice. Verify current requirements for your specific transaction.