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Teknofest, billed as the world's largest aviation, space and technology festival, opens its 15th edition at Sanliurfa GAP Airport in southeastern Türkiye.
The host province is home to Gobeklitepe, one of the oldest known monumental structures.
The five-day event runs from Sept. 30 to Oct. 4 on a site covering 191,000 square meters (2.06 million square feet), and entry is free with online registration.
Domestic aircraft and land and sea vehicles stand on display across the grounds. Exhibits include the Bayraktar Kizilelma, KAAN, Bayraktar TB3, Hurjet, Bayraktar Akinci and Bayraktar TB2, alongside Anka, Atak and Hurkus platforms.
Several children told Anadolu Agency (AA) they were visiting for the first time and were excited by the rockets and aircraft.
Experience areas pair the city's history with current technology. A Gobeklitepe Experience Area, a planetarium, the Teknofest Time Tunnel and a Hurjet Experience Area sit among stands, science centers and workshops.
Students also join hands-on sessions, including beekeeping classes run by Erzurum Metropolitan Municipality and the TUME Foundation.
Visitors range from school groups to retirees. Students from Sanliurfa try a seat belt simulator set up by gendarmerie traffic teams and learn about radar and alcohol-testing equipment.
Ismail Bakadur, 73, tours the stands in regional dress, while the Türkiye Beyazay Association runs activities for people with disabilities.
Finals in 14 technology categories take place at the venue. Competitions listed by AA include Agriculture Technologies, Robolig, Blockchain, Financial Technologies and Steel Dome air defense systems, as well as the World Drone Cup and the Teknofest Drone Championship.
The 11th International Invention Fair, ISIF'26, also opens with a ceremony.
The air shows begin with military parachutists jumping from a T-70 helicopter, unfurling a Turkish flag and a poster of Ataturk as spectators applaud.
The Bayraktar Akinci attack drone follows with a demonstration flight, and live footage from the aircraft appears on large screens. According to AA, the Akinci can stay airborne for more than 24 hours.
Paramotor and paraglider pilots follow the drone before the Turkish Air Force aerobatic team, Turkish Stars, performs over the grounds. Spectators film the maneuvers on their phones, and a poem about the Turkish flag is read from the stage.
The schedule includes SoloTurk F-16 flights and a Semicenk concert, with a closing ceremony and awards on Oct. 4.
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