Türkiye has formally put its 2026–2030 Artificial Intelligence Action Plan into effect, setting out an ambitious roadmap that targets at least $10 billion in AI and data center investment, 1 GW of installed data center capacity, and AI literacy training for five million people.
The plan, published in the Official Gazette through a Presidential Circular, turns the country’s AI ambitions into an implementation framework for public institutions. First introduced in June, the strategy was prepared under the coordination of the Ministry of Industry and Technology, with contributions from government agencies, the private sector, universities and civil society.
Public institutions have now been instructed to fulfil their responsibilities under the plan and provide the support required for implementation.
Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır said Türkiye aims to become not merely an observer of the global AI transformation, but one of its leaders, with a focus on developing AI technologies, creating trusted products and services, and scaling AI solutions across strategically important sectors.
Four Pillars and 16 Priority Actions
The action plan is structured around four strategic pillars — “Recognise,” “Utilise,” “Produce,” and “Govern” — encompassing 16 priority actions.
The “Recognise” pillar focuses on AI literacy, talent development, the national data ecosystem and the legal framework. “Utilise” addresses computing infrastructure and the adoption of AI across government and private industry.
“Produce” covers financing, domestic AI models, robotics and dedicated AI growth zones, while “Govern” focuses on international investment, AI diplomacy, regional cooperation, regulation and security.
Through combined public and private-sector initiatives, the government expects the programme to generate more than TRY 1 trillion in economic value.
Five Million People to Receive AI Training
Human capital represents one of the plan’s largest components.
Türkiye plans to establish an AI assessment platform integrated with e-Devlet, the country’s digital government portal. Citizens will be able to measure their AI literacy levels and receive recommendations for appropriate training programmes.
The government aims for 1.5 million people to complete the National AI Literacy Programme within the first 12 months, rising to five million within two years.
The initiative will be supported by workshops across all 81 provinces, with at least 1,000 AI trainers expected to be trained during the first six months.
By the end of 2027, Türkiye is targeting the development of 10,000 advanced AI specialists and 100,000 AI application professionals.
At least 50 universities are expected to introduce foundational AI courses, while Türkiye aims to attract at least 500 international experts to participate in research, education and entrepreneurial activities.
The country’s data strategy also calls for at least 2,000 public datasets to be published in machine-readable formats through the National Data Library, with at least 100 made regularly accessible through APIs.
Türkiye Targets 1 GW of AI and Data Center Capacity
Infrastructure is another central pillar of the roadmap.
By 2030, Türkiye aims to increase its installed AI and data center capacity to at least 1 GW, alongside one exabyte of storage capacity and a 100 Tb/s national backbone connection.
The plan also targets annual low-carbon power purchase agreements totalling 10 TWh, reflecting the enormous energy requirements associated with expanding AI infrastructure.
Most significantly, Türkiye wants to mobilise at least $10 billion in predominantly private-sector investment across data centers, cloud computing and AI infrastructure.
A new “GPU for Everyone” programme will provide computing resources to startups, SMEs and researchers. The first phase will allocate at least two million GPU-hours of credits annually, with capacity expected to reach at least 20 million GPU-hours per year by the end of 2028.
The government also intends to position itself as an early customer for domestic AI solutions.
At least 2% of Türkiye’s total public investment programme budget is expected to be allocated to AI projects, while 10 ministries are expected to launch at least 30 pilot projects during the first 12 months.
At least five AI-powered citizen services are also expected to be piloted through e-Devlet before being scaled more broadly.
Two New Funds to Back AI Startups
Türkiye’s AI strategy also introduces a major new financing framework designed to support companies from early-stage research through commercial scale-up.
The National Artificial Intelligence Research Fund is expected to provide at least TRY 10 billion in funding.
A separate Artificial Intelligence Growth Fund is targeted to reach TRY 15 billion, with plans to support at least 20 AI startups at Series A, Series B or later scale-up stages.
The strategy could create a significant new pool of growth capital for Türkiye’s emerging AI ecosystem at a time when countries across the region are competing to attract AI companies, researchers and infrastructure investment.
Dedicated AI Growth Zones will complement the funding initiatives by offering investors campuses with energy and infrastructure already in place.
At least five zones are expected to be designated by the end of 2028, with three becoming operational. Türkiye also plans to establish three Regional Centres of Excellence and six access points.
For SMEs, at least 1,000 AI vouchers will be distributed during the first 12 months. The government wants at least half of supported projects to progress to field pilots and at least one-third of those pilots to become permanent products or services.
Sector-Specific AI Models and Robotics
Türkiye’s ambitions extend beyond general-purpose large language models.
The country plans to develop specialised foundation models for sectors including healthcare, agriculture, earthquake response, energy and manufacturing.
By the end of 2028, Türkiye aims to secure at least 10 licensing or co-development agreements, establish active partnerships in three priority international markets and complete at least 25 enterprise AI model deployments abroad.
Physical AI and robotics will also receive strategic attention, particularly across autonomous driving, humanoid robots, manufacturing lines, agricultural robotics, healthcare assistance systems and disaster technologies.
Türkiye aims to sign at least five international export or co-development agreements in physical AI and robotics by 2030.
A Shared AI Model for Turkic Languages
One of the roadmap’s most distinctive regional initiatives is the development of a shared large language model for Turkic languages.
Working with members of the Organization of Turkic States, Türkiye plans to develop a model covering the Oghuz, Kipchak and Karluk language families.
The first production-ready version is targeted for completion by the end of 2027, potentially creating shared AI infrastructure that can support digital products and services across Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Central Asia and other Turkic-speaking markets.
Regulatory Sandboxes Across Five Sectors
The action plan also addresses AI governance, safety and regulation.
Regulatory sandboxes will be established across at least five priority sectors, including finance, healthcare, energy, mobility and telecommunications.
High-impact AI systems will be subject to measures including algorithmic impact assessments, model cards and security testing.
Implementation of the strategy will be overseen by the National Artificial Intelligence Board, while institutional targets, budgets and timelines will be tracked through a publicly accessible progress portal.
The first implementation report is expected within 12 months of the plan’s publication, followed by annual progress reports.
Türkiye Accelerates Its Regional AI Ambitions
The scale of the 2026–2030 Action Plan signals that Türkiye is moving beyond AI policy discussions toward building the physical, financial and human infrastructure required to compete in the sector.
The combination of $10 billion in infrastructure investment, TRY 25 billion in planned research and growth funding, 1 GW of data center capacity, millions of trained citizens and dedicated support for scaling AI companies could significantly reshape Türkiye’s technology ecosystem over the next four years.
For startups and investors in particular, the creation of the AI Growth Fund, GPU access programmes, AI Growth Zones and public-sector pilot opportunities could open new paths to capital, infrastructure and early customers — while positioning Türkiye as an increasingly important AI hub connecting Europe, the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Source: Türkiye Ministry of Industry and Technology / 2026–2030 Türkiye Artificial Intelligence Action Plan
