D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation Secretary-General Ambassador Sohail Mahmood travelled to Şanlıurfa, Türkiye, to take part in the latest edition of TEKNOFEST, the country's flagship aerospace and technology festival, held from September 30 to October 4. The Secretary-General's participation came at the invitation of Türkiye's Minister of Industry and Technology, Mehmet Fatih Kacır, and formed part of broader efforts to deepen technology cooperation across the D-8's nine member states.
Secretary-General joins Erdoğan's address, meets tech leaders
During his two-day visit, Ambassador Sohail Mahmood attended the festival's high-level programme, which featured an address by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and an award ceremony recognising the winners of TEKNOFEST's technology competitions. He held meetings with a range of senior Turkish policymakers and industry figures, including Minister Kacır, Deputy Minister of Industry and Technology Muhammet Kasım Gönüllü, TEKNOFEST Board Chairman and T3 Foundation head Selçuk Bayraktar, Presidential Head of Cyber Security Ümit Önal, and TÜBİTAK President Orhan Aydın, alongside senior representatives from TÜBİTAK, ASELSAN and HAVELSAN.
Pavilion visits highlight D-8 technology push
The Secretary-General toured exhibition pavilions showcasing a range of advanced technology products and engaged directly with young innovators whose projects had won awards at the festival. Throughout these engagements, Ambassador Sohail Mahmood focused on building the case for stronger technology partnership among D-8 member states, briefing his interlocutors on progress across the bloc's various sectoral cooperation tracks and stressing the need for deeper collaboration in industry, technology and artificial intelligence as global technological transformation accelerates.
Meeting with Şanlıurfa governor, tribute to host city
On the sidelines of the visit, the Secretary-General met with Şanlıurfa Governor Hasan Şıldak, commending the province for successfully hosting TEKNOFEST in what he described as the historic "City of Prophets," and thanking local authorities for arrangements that allowed foreign delegates to experience the region's historical and cultural heritage.
Praise for turnout and Türkiye's technological profile
Speaking to media during the event, Ambassador Sohail Mahmood congratulated Minister Kacır, Bayraktar and partner institutions for what he called the meticulous planning behind TEKNOFEST, noting that the festival drew more than one million visitors and highlighting the enthusiasm of young participants in particular. He said TEKNOFEST had grown into an internationally recognised brand and that its Şanlıurfa edition underscored Türkiye's expanding technological capabilities, expressing hope for a closer, mutually beneficial relationship between D-8 member states and the festival going forward. The Secretary-General was accompanied throughout the visit by Executive Assistant Münir Ketizmen.