Teknofest was held in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), its second international destination, between May 1-4, 2025. The record turnout at the event highlighted the strong interest of Turkish Cypriots in technology.
Although Teknofest features civilian technologies that benefit humanity, such as in the field of health, it particularly stands out for its emphasis on the defense industry. This is due to both the demonstrations of military air platforms and the exhibition of Turkish defense industry products. Consequently, the Greek Cypriot administration closely monitored the event during a period of heightened tensions.
Tensions have been escalating recently as the Greek administration has aggressively increased its armament activities. Additionally, there have been some verbal harassment incidents targeting Turkish Cypriots on the island. In such a climate, hosting Teknofest in the TRNC and the high-level participation of the Republic of Türkiye in the event served as a “soft message” to the Greek Cypriot administration.
Moreover, there have been recent efforts, particularly through images circulated on social media, to create the perception of a rift between Turkish Cypriots and Türkiye. However, the overwhelming interest shown by the islanders in Teknofest served as a clear response to these perception campaigns.
Turkish Cypriots showed great enthusiasm for Turkish defense industry products exhibited at the event, such as Gökbey, Kızılelma, Akıncı, Bayraktar TB2, Bayraktar TB3, T129 Atak, Anka, Hürjet, Kargu and Tayfun. This strong interest is rooted in a shared historical trauma. During the Cyprus Peace Operation nearly 50 years ago, carried out by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and Turkish Cypriots, Türkiye faced a severe arms embargo. This embargo played a pivotal role in laying the foundations of today’s Turkish defense industry. In fact, older Turkish Cypriot citizens attending Teknofest TRNC had the chance to reflect on the stark contrast between then and now.
Notably, the use of Turkish defense and aerospace industry products by the Turkish Armed Forces during on-site demonstrations also underscored Türkiye’s self-reliance and determination in safeguarding the rights and interests of Turkish Cypriots as a guarantor power.
One important point to highlight is that no provocative statements were made against the Greek Cypriot administration during the event. This alone reflects the constructive and measured approach of both Türkiye and the Turkish Cypriots regarding the Cyprus issue.