Türkiye on Tuesday pledged support as it called on global venture capital and growth funds to grow in the country and expand their collaboration with Turkish startups.
The call came on the sidelines of the “Go! Global Türkiye Summit,” which brought together Turkish entrepreneurs with representatives of funds managing what executives said was a combined $500 billion.
Speaking at the opening, Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır emphasized that Türkiye has adopted a risk-based and proportionate regulatory approach tailored to its national needs while remaining open to innovation in frontier technologies such as artificial intelligence.
“We will design our regulations according to our own needs, not by copying others,” Kacır said. “I invite you to grow in Türkiye and to collaborate with Turkish startups. My team and I are ready to support you every step of the way.”
The event was organized in cooperation with the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK), the Türkiye-U.S. Business Council (TAIK) and Endeavor Türkiye.
Kacır highlighted Türkiye’s robust research and development and innovation ecosystem, with 1,700 R&D and design centers and around 12,000 firms operating across 113 technoparks that he said are “building the technologies of the future today.”
“Türkiye today ranks among the world leaders in unmanned aerial vehicles,” he added, citing the country’s rapid technological advances in defense industries, as well as the development of indigenous aircraft, helicopters, naval platforms, land systems and satellites.
Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır speaks during the “Go! Global Türkiye Summit,” Istanbul, Türkiye, Nov. 11, 2025. (AA Photo)
Kacır also pointed to Togg, the country’s first domestically produced electric car, as a symbol of Türkiye’s innovation capacity. He said the ministry’s policies are designed to match talent with opportunity, noting that capital flows have been expanded to accelerate the growth of startups.
“Between 2020 and 2024, total capital investments in Turkish tech startups reached $5.3 billion, marking a twelvefold increase compared to the previous five years,” Kacır said. “In pre-seed deal volume, we ranked second in Europe last year. Until 2019, no Turkish startup had achieved unicorn status. Today, we proudly have seven ‘Turcorns’ – six of which were directly supported by our ministry.”
The minister said Türkiye aims to produce 100,000 tech startups by 2030, with its unicorns collectively reaching a total valuation of $100 billion.
He also mentioned the HIT-30 Program, an initiative aiming at making Türkiye a center for next-generation tech investments, supported by expanding fiber infrastructure, 5G networks, cloud systems, and national cybersecurity capabilities.
Eastern innovation, Western capital
At the press conference held during the summit, DEIK President Nail Olpak said Türkiye is positioning itself as a bridge between global innovation and capital.
“We are positioning Türkiye as a center where the innovation of the East meets the capital of the West – where ambitious entrepreneurs not only dream of Silicon Valley but build their own version here in Istanbul,” Olpak said.
Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK) President Nail Olpak speaks during the “Go! Global Türkiye Summit,” Istanbul, Türkiye, Nov. 11, 2025. (AA Photo)
TAIK head Murat Özyeğin said the country boasts one of Europe’s fastest-growing venture capital ecosystems.
“Go! Global Türkiye goes beyond traditional investment platforms,” Özyeğin said. “It serves as a catalyst for lasting collaborations that enable Turkish technology companies to grow globally from their inception, while showcasing their extraordinary return potential to international investors.”
He added that the summit helps Turkish startups access global capital, expertise, and networks through strategic partnerships with the world’s leading venture firms.
$500 billion in funds represented
Hande Çilingir, chair of TAIK’s Digital Working Group and CEO of Insider, a B2B software-as-a-service startup, said the summit was designed to facilitate strategic alignment rather than chance partnerships.
“Representatives of funds managing a combined $500 billion are here in Türkiye,” Çilingir said. “How much of that will turn into investment depends on the success of our entrepreneurs. I hope they seize this opportunity.”
Endeavor Türkiye head Emre Kurttepeli said Turkish startups are increasingly going global.
Kurttepeli noted that $416 million in foreign investment flowed into Turkish ventures in the first nine months of this year, but stressed the need to double or triple that figure in 2026.
Türkiye-U.S. Business Council (TAIK) President Murat Özyeğin speaks during the “Go! Global Türkiye Summit,” Istanbul, Türkiye, Nov. 11, 2025. (AA Photo)
The summit hosted leading global venture capital and growth funds, including Accel, Khosla Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, General Atlantic, Princeville Capital, and Golden Gate Ventures, as well as executives from DeepMind, Google and Uber.
An Investor Day following the summit will bring together more than 20 Turkish family offices and 40 institutional investors with the international ecosystem to discuss concrete cooperation and investment opportunities.
The inaugural summit last year attracted over 500 ecosystem participants, connecting 250 high-potential Turkish entrepreneurs, 150 domestic venture capital and growth funds, and 25 global investors.
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