Turkey will establish its first hyperscale cloud region by 2028–2029, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday, describing the project as a step toward positioning the country as a digital bridge between Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
Speaking at the 2025 awards ceremony of the Turkish Scientific and Technological Research Council (TUBITAK) and the Turkish Academy of Sciences (TUBA) in Ankara, Erdogan emphasized the importance of scientific innovation and national technological development.
“Türkiye will become the data hub of its region,” Erdogan said, highlighting the government’s investments in areas ranging from artificial intelligence and autonomous systems to data storage and unmanned technologies.
Erdogan said the initiative would advance Turkey’s position among leading global players in science and technology despite criticism from opposition parties, citing objections to recent missile tests in Sinop province. “We will continue to produce, develop, and achieve new breakthroughs, ignoring those who seek to block our path with absurd claims,” he added.
Over the past 23 years, Erdogan noted, Turkey has supported more than 36,000 academic projects with 153 billion Turkish liras ($5.3 billion) and provided 46.5 billion liras ($1.6 billion) in funding for more than 415,000 researchers. Private sector R&D has received 134 billion liras ($4.6 billion), he said.
Erdogan also highlighted the expansion of Turkey’s scientific infrastructure, including 113 technoparks, 360 R&D centers, and increased public library space, as well as efforts to engage youth through scholarships, workshops, and initiatives like TEKNOFEST.
He praised Turkish scientists, including Nobel laureate Aziz Sancar, and urged researchers to build on Turkey’s historical knowledge heritage while remaining confident in their national capabilities.
The hyperscale cloud project is expected to provide significant data storage and processing capacity, enabling Turkey to strengthen its digital economy and regional technological influence.
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