Türkiye launches AI action plan with grants and $10B target

Türkiye is pressing ahead with its national artificial intelligence strategy, launching new funding programmes, expanding international research partnerships, and seeking to mobilise at least $10 billion in investment to strengthen its AI ecosystem. The rollout follows President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s announcement of the Türkiye AI Action Plan last month. The Ministry of Industry and Technology, together with TÜBİTAK, universities, and research institutions, is coordinating new initiatives to accelerate the commercialisation of AI technologies and expand collaboration between academia, industry, and the public sector.

Funding programmes

TÜBİTAK has opened applications for its 2026 AI Ecosystem Call, supporting consortium‑based projects in smart manufacturing, agriculture, financial technologies, e‑commerce, climate change, and education. Grants of up to 10 million liras (about $250,000) per project will be provided. A separate funding programme will support AI solutions for public institutions, with research projects eligible for support for up to 48 months. Türkiye is also expanding international cooperation, including under the CONCERT Japan framework, with researchers from 10 European countries and Japan developing AI‑powered robotics and autonomous systems.

Investment and governance

AI investments will also be supported through the HIT‑30 High Technology Investment Programme, which allocates $1.6 billion for AI projects. The action plan calls for mobilising at least $10 billion — primarily from the private sector — for data centres, cloud computing, and AI infrastructure. It also includes Terminal Istanbul, a hub for AI entrepreneurs and global investors, regulatory sandboxes in at least five sectors, a national AI growth fund, and a national AI council to oversee implementation. The government expects the strategy to generate more than 1 trillion liras in added economic value while strengthening Türkiye’s role in international AI governance.