Türkiye Emerges as Regional Startup Hub at UGIK 2026 Summit

(MENAFN) Türkiye positioned itself as a burgeoning regional entrepreneurship center Tuesday with the launch of the International Young Entrepreneurs Congress (UGIK 2026), backed by nearly $700 million in early-stage technology funding secured in 2025.

The youth wing of Turkish business organization MUSIAD (Independent Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association), Genc MUSIAD, is hosting the gathering, with Anadolu serving as the global communications partner.

Operating under the banner "Future: Today," the biennial summit emphasizes leveraging innovation to navigate volatile economic conditions worldwide.

Burak Daglioglu, president of Türkiye's Investment and Finance Office, told attendees at the opening ceremony that Türkiye and Istanbul serve as critical centers for domestic and international entrepreneurial activity.

MUSIAD president Burhan Ozdemir pointed to evolving global supply networks and shifting geopolitical power structures, calling on participants to address emerging gaps through values-driven leadership in an unpredictable landscape.

"The coming decades will be determined by not only tech firms but also by ethical rules and financial blocks -- companies building artificial intelligence (AI) will be more powerful than governments," he said. "Those who control the data economy will shape the culture and politics of the world, which is why young businesspeople should be not only economic actors but also geopolitical ones -- they are the architects of this era."

Genc MUSIAD president Magsum Usta emphasized that emerging business leaders must cultivate the "discipline of listening" to develop effective leadership, cautioning against haste.

"True success is not like a leap that comes overnight, but it is the very ability to do the same thing with the same level of seriousness and the same ethics -- not without a plan or impatience, or not for show," he said. "People who are lasting and successful in the business world make an impact."

UGIK executive chair Omer Faruk Celik outlined three core obstacles confronting young professionals: "self-understanding and identity" and "the weakening of the culture of struggle."

"In this era of instant gratification and speed, the desire to acquire and consume everything fast is what is quietly draining this spirit of struggle from our lives," he said. "We need to transition from a self-centered life to a youth understanding that carries a responsibility to the world and has an impact."

Following inaugural remarks, Anadolu received a recognition plaque, accepted by the agency's finance news director Mehmet Kadir Kilinc.

The congress continues Tuesday with multiple panel discussions scheduled throughout the day.

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