Apple is opening seven academies and centres in Turkey, starting in Istanbul

Apple is putting down longer roots in Turkey. The company says it will open seven new training and technology sites, and the first ones arrive in Istanbul in 2027.

What happened?

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan received Apple chairman Tim Cook in Ankara. Erdoğan said on social media that they discussed Apple's support for Turkey's digital app economy.

Apple then announced long-term investments in the country. The plan includes five Apple Developer Academies, one Apple Developer Center and one Apple Manufacturing Academy.

The company, valued at about 4.9 trillion dollars, is the world's most valuable firm. Cook said Apple is proud to support the next generation of innovative entrepreneurs in the coming years.

What exactly is being built?

The five Developer Academies will open across Turkey over the next three years. The first will open in Istanbul in 2027. They will offer free nine-month programmes covering coding, design, marketing, project management and AI. Graduates can publish their apps on the App Store. Apple currently runs 19 such academies worldwide.

The Developer Center, also in Istanbul in 2027, will help developers, entrepreneurs and start-ups with tools, technology and resources, plus access to Apple experts and events. Similar centres already exist in Bangalore, Berlin, Cupertino, Shanghai and Singapore.

The Manufacturing Academy will be in Ankara. It will offer free training and advice to small and medium-sized businesses, students and entrepreneurs, with a hands-on lab, live demonstrations and workshops. It will be Apple's first such academy outside the US and its second in the world.

What's next?

Apple says the manufacturing academy aims to support Turkey's manufacturing sector, speed up innovation and encourage the use of advanced technologies. Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır also said he welcomed the investments.