Internship opportunity in the defense industry for Turkish students from abroad at TEKNOFEST

Aviation, Space and Technology Festival (TEKNOFEST), of which Anadolu Agency (AA) is the "Global Communication Partner" and carried out by the Ministry of Industry and Technology and the T3 Foundation, continues at Şanlıurfa GAP Airport.

Within the scope of the "Turkey Internships" program, which has been carried out by the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) since 2023, Turkish engineering and software students living abroad are provided with internship opportunities in defense industry companies in Türkiye.

Every year, approximately 150-200 young people are brought to Türkiye after various evaluations and participate in a one-month internship program. Young people who complete their internships have the opportunity to closely examine Türkiye's work in the technology and defense industry by visiting TEKNOFEST within the scope of the program.

YTB ​​President Abdulhadi Turus told the AA correspondent that TEKNOFEST has an important place in the development of young people's perspectives on Türkiye.

Stating that they bring together successful students living abroad and in their fields with defense industry companies in Türkiye, Turus said, "We had our engineering and software students studying at the best universities of their country do internships in Türkiye's favorite defense industry companies. Especially the rising far-right and racism in continental Europe have based their perspective on Türkiye on lies and, unfortunately, fraud. We are breaking this, this perception in these young people." he said.

Stating that young people's participation in TEKNOFEST after the internship period is an important part of the program, Turus stated that the young people who had the opportunity to see the point Türkiye has reached in the field of technology at the festival returned to the countries they live in with a different perspective.

Stating that TEKNOFEST also affects the future plans of young people, Turus said, "We bring approximately 150-200 young people to Türkiye every year. We identify these young people through the screenings we conduct in continental Europe. We are trying to find the best of these friends together with defense industry companies. We have brought nearly 750 of our friends to Türkiye so far." he said.

Underlining that young people were specially selected, Turus continued as follows:

"We make a very good selection among our young people living abroad and bring the best ones here and intern at the best companies in our country's defense industry. By doing internships in the companies in the defense industry in the countries they are based in, they see the difference and what our purpose is. They understand who and what they serve and what we serve. Here, they do not only learn the mechanical infrastructure of the defense industry. They learn what a civilization corresponds to. While they produce in those companies to destroy, we work in those companies to preserve. We produce products and these young people can see that difference.”

Turus stated that young people not only gained technical experience in Türkiye but also participated in cultural programs, and that they are also planned to visit the historical and cultural places of Şanlıurfa, such as Göbeklitepe and Balıklıgöl, in a one-month period.

"I intend to serve my country"

Bilal Ünal, who came to Türkiye from Belgium and completed his internship, said that seeing KAAN and KIZILELMA at TEKNOFEST made him proud.

Stating that doing an internship in one of Türkiye's important defense industry companies was a valuable experience for him, Ünal said, "I gained experience in the field here, it was very important for me for my business life, I saw business life in such valuable companies before I finished my school. I am thinking of coming to my country after my master's degree, working in the defense industry and serving my country." he said.

Zeynep Daşdemir, a space engineering student from Germany, stated that she did her internship at TAI and took part in the testing phases of satellites.

Explaining that the experiences he gained during his internship gave him new ideas, Daşdemir stated that he wanted to develop his own projects based on the work he saw in Türkiye.