At the Turkey Artificial Intelligence Summit, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan outlined the main objectives of the new Artificial Intelligence Action Plan. Erdoğan emphasized that Turkey is among the countries that recognized the technological transformation early and shaped their policies accordingly.
He highlighted the intense efforts to transfer the accumulated knowledge and skills from the defense industry to various technology fields, especially artificial intelligence. Erdoğan stated that the new action plan aims to position Turkey among the leading countries in AI technologies.
The action plan is built on four pillars
According to Erdoğan, the Artificial Intelligence Action Plan is structured around four fundamental pillars: "detect, utilize, produce, and govern." Each pillar includes four complementary actions.
This framework indicates that artificial intelligence will be addressed not only as a technical specialty but also as a broad transformation theme spanning public services, the economy, education, and production.
AI literacy workshops to be established in all 81 provinces
Erdoğan announced the launch of the National Artificial Intelligence Literacy program to ensure citizens of all ages understand AI correctly and use it safely. As part of the program, AI literacy workshops will be established in all 81 provinces.
The goal is to provide training to 5 million citizens within two years. This aims to expand AI usage beyond technology professionals to various age and occupational groups in society.
Targeting 10,000 experts and 100,000 application professionals
On the human resources front, the action plan aims to train 10,000 advanced AI experts and 100,000 AI application professionals. This target reflects Turkey’s intention to increase not only its user base but also its producer and implementer capacity within the AI ecosystem.
According to Erdoğan’s announcements, education and skill development initiatives will focus on expanding the qualified workforce needed by public institutions, the private sector, and technology startups.
Public data sets and investment shares to increase
At least 2,000 public data sets, especially in health, agriculture, defense, and e-commerce, are planned to be made available through the National Data Library. This step aims to strengthen data access for developing AI applications.
Erdoğan also announced that at least 2% of public investment programs will be allocated to AI projects. In data centers, cloud, and AI infrastructure, the goal is to mobilize at least $10 billion in predominantly private sector resources.
İstanbul to become Turkey’s AI showcase
On the international front, the plan envisions positioning Istanbul as Turkey’s global showcase and investment diplomacy city in the AI field. This goal aims to attract technology investments and strengthen Turkey’s claim to be a regional AI hub.
Erdoğan also mentioned that, in cooperation with the Organization of Turkic States, a large common Turkish language model covering Oghuz, Kipchak, and Karluk languages will be developed gradually. Turkey is expected to play an active role in setting human-centered AI standards on platforms such as the OECD, G20, and the United Nations.
