Turkey TOBB AI summit and industry support

In late July 2026, the Turkey Chambers and Exchanges Union (TOBB) hosted a three‑day Business Artificial Intelligence Summit in Ankara, bringing together ministries, chambers, SMEs, industrial firms and software companies to discuss AI’s impact on industry, trade, finance and services. After the summit, TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu warned of a tightening credit environment for Turkish firms, citing high inflation, elevated interest rates and limited loan access, and presented the Ministry’s AI Action Plan for 2026‑2030.

On 1 August 2026, Hisarcıklıoğlu addressed a joint chamber meeting in Muğla, highlighting the province’s strategic assets—a 1,500 km coastline, two international airports, and strong sectors ranging from tourism and agriculture to fisheries, olive‑oil production, mining and yacht manufacturing. He warned that high inflation, rising rates and tight credit were constraining especially small‑ and medium‑sized enterprises (KOBİs). He announced the relaunch of the KGF‑guaranteed TOBB Nefes Credit programme, which had already supported 13,382 Muğla firms, and called for expanding its capacity nationwide. He noted the accommodation‑tax cut from 2 % to 1 % and a Treasury‑backed 60 billion‑lira tourism support package that includes a 1,270‑lira minimum‑wage supplement and a 3,500‑lira monthly premium for certified establishments. He concluded with a call for solidarity, saying “back‑to‑back we will overcome these tough days.”