Sirnak: Trkiye's premier aviation, space, and technology festival, TEKNOFEST, has commenced its drone championship in the southeastern province of Sirnak, drawing a significant number of young competitors and technology enthusiasts from the region.

According to Anadolu Agency, nearly 18,000 young individuals from Sirnak applied for this year's competitions, positioning the province among the top 10 nationwide for participation. The festival has set a new record with 1.6 million participants and 730,000 teams registered for this year's events.

The competition is spread across 54 different fields, with a total prize pool exceeding 75 million Turkish lira ($1.5 million). Additionally, participants will receive financial support totaling over $2 million.

Selcuk Bayraktar, the chair of the TEKNOFEST board of directors and the T3 Foundation, was present at the event. Bayraktar highlighted the historical significance of Sirnak, noting that the initial development of Trkiye's first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) began in the province in 2006. He emphasized the technological revival the region is experiencing, following the end of terrorism over the past two decades.

Bayraktar further noted that Sirnak has made substantial progress in Trkiye's pursuit of technological independence. He stated, "Nearly 18,000 of our young people applied to technology competitions, and Sirnak ranked among the top 10 provinces nationwide in terms of applications; by producing 22 semifinalist teams, it achieved a major success relative to its population."

The ongoing competition marks the first event of the southeastern leg of TEKNOFEST. The festival will continue with regional events, culminating in the province of Sanliurfa in early October.

Organizers have also announced the upcoming TEKNOFEST Blue Homeland maritime event, which will be held at the Golcuk Naval Shipyard in the northwest of the nation later this month, to showcase advanced naval technologies.