Nearly 5,000 technology developers have relocated to Türkiye under a special visa program launched to attract high-value tech startups, a senior official said on Tuesday.
Unveiled in September 2024, the Türkiye Tech Visa Program aims at simplifying work permits for foreign professionals and entrepreneurs with specialized expertise.
It features granting three-year work permits to entrepreneurs and expert employees involved in high-value sectors who establish companies in Türkiye.
“Thanks to the Türkiye Tech Visa Program, nearly 5,000 technology developers have moved to Türkiye so far and are now continuing their work in Türkiye,” Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır told an event in Istanbul.
The program offers significant incentives, including exemptions from corporate tax for companies established in tech parks or incubators and income tax waivers for employees.
It also envisages streamlining bureaucratic procedures to make Türkiye’s entrepreneurial ecosystem more appealing for early-stage and scaling companies.
Kacır said Türkiye aims to expand its innovation capacity by supporting young entrepreneurs and increasing access to technology infrastructure across the country.
He noted that Türkiye’s R&D spending has surged from $1.2 billion to $20 billion (TL 53.67 billion to TL 894.52 billion), with private sector contributions rising to $14 billion, while the number of R&D personnel has climbed to over 300,000.
Kacır also underscored the growth of technoparks, where the number of companies has increased from just 56 two decades ago to nearly 8,700.
The minister said the government is supporting high-growth startups through initiatives such as the “Turcorn 100 Program,” aimed at creating billion-dollar companies, noting that more than 70 startups have emerged from Türkiye’s first unicorns.
He added that transforming Atatürk Airport into “Terminal Istanbul,” a large-scale entrepreneurship hub, will further position the country as a global center for technology and innovation.
