Turkey wants to be a manufacturer of new technologies, not market, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

Axar.az reports citing AA that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended Teknofest, a technology and aerospace fair in Istanbul, on Saturday.

“I see this place as a platform that shows what our young people can do, even with very limited opportunities in the field of technology,” Erdogan said.

“This year, Teknofest has broken a record with nearly 17,400 and 2,000 finalists, 50,000 contestant applications and 10,000 finalists in all 81 provinces of Turkey and 122 countries,” he added.

Erdogan also said the program of leading international researchers will continue in the following years.

"Senior researchers who have come to Turkey under this program will conduct scientific studies in such a rich research environment and hopefully they will set an example to our youth," Erdogan said.

"127 senior researchers, 98 of whom are Turkish and 29 foreigners, will benefit from this program and will have important roles in crucial research and development projects," he added.

The festival will feature numerous activities such as aviation shows, seminars, workshops, a drone championship, contests, and concerts.