Türkiye diaspora engineering internship programme

The 2026 term of the Türkiye Internships Programme, managed by the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB), has begun to connect members of the Turkish diaspora with the nation’s technology and defence sectors.

Initial reports indicated that 115 young engineers from various international universities were selected from over 500 applicants to undergo training at major companies including ASELSAN, TUSAŞ, ROKETSAN, HAVELSAN, and STM. The programme covers fields such as aerospace, software, mechanical, electrical, and industrial engineering.

Subsequent updates regarding the ‘Türkiye Stajları Vizyon Söyleşileri’ (Turkey Internships Vision Talks) noted that 109 interns from 11 different countries were accepted for the cycle. During these discussions, Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır highlighted the programme’s role within Türkiye’s broader ‘national technology move.’

Minister Kacır provided context on Türkiye’s expanding research and development landscape, noting that annual R&D spending has risen from $1.2 billion to over $20 billion, while the R&D workforce has grown from 29,000 to more than 310,000 people. He also pointed to the surge in defense industry exports, which increased from $240 million to over $11 billion annually. Kacır emphasized the necessity of developing critical technologies domestically to ensure national strength and self-sufficiency amidst shifting global technology sharing and free trade rules.