At the invitation of Türkiye’s Minister of Industry and Technology H.E. Mehmet Fatih Kacır, the Secretary-General of Developing-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation, H.E. Ambassador Sohail Mahmood, participated in the latest edition of TEKNOFEST held in Şanlıurfa, Türkiye, from 30 September-4 October 2026.

During the two-day visit to Şanlıurfa, the Secretary-General attended the grand high-level event that featured the Honourable President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s inspiring address and award ceremony for winners of wide-ranging technology competitions. The Secretary-General also interacted with key policy-makers and technology leaders – including Industry and Technology Minister Excellency Mehmet Fatih Kacır; Deputy Minister of Industry and Technology Excellency Muhammet Kasım Gönüllü; TEKNOFEST Board Chairman and Chairman of T3 Foundation Mr. Selçuk Bayraktar; Presidency’s Head of Cyber Security of the Republic of Türkiye Excellency Ümit Önal; President of TÜBİTAK Prof. Dr. Orhan Aydın; and senior management from TÜBİTAK, ASELSAN, HAVELSAN and several other participating institutions.

The Secretary-General visited pavilions of major companies and was briefed on a range of their cutting-edge products. He also engaged with young innovators participating in the TEKNOFEST competitions and learned about their products that won awards.

Throughout these interactions, the focus was on strengthening the prospects of a formidable D-8 technology partnership — keeping in view technological transformations taking place globally and across the D-8 geography. The Secretary-General apprised his interlocuters of the progress in the D-8’s different tracks of sectoral cooperation and stressed the importance of deeper collaboration in the fields of industry and technology, including Artificial Intelligence.

On the sidelines, the Secretary-General met with Şanlıurfa Governor Hasan Şıldak and congratulated him on successful hosting of TEKNOFEST in the historic ‘City of Prophets’ and thanked for making arrangements for foreign delegates to experience Şanlıurfa’s rich historical and cultural heritage and its vast tourism potential.

In his media interactions, the Secretary-General extended felicitations to Minister Fatih Kacır, Board Chairman Selçuk Bayraktar, and all partner institutions for their meticulous planning and seamless execution of TEKNOFEST, which drew more than 1 million people from different walks of life. He particularly appreciated the strong spirit and enthusiastic participation of the youth in the event.

Noting that TEKNOFEST had already transformed into an internationally-renowned brand, the Secretary-General underlined that its latest edition in Şanlıurfa powerfully showcased Türkiye’s growing technological prowess across a broad spectrum. He expressed the hope that there will be closer, mutually-beneficial association between D-8 members and the TEKNOFEST.

The Secretary-General was accompanied during the visit by Executive Assistant Münir Ketizmen.