Apple's Executive Chairman Tim Cook has announced that Apple will open five new developer academies, a new developer centre and a new Apple Manufacturing Academy in Turkey, following a multi-day trip to the nation.
The company has said these investments will help support content creators, entrepreneurs and producers in the nation, to help make Turkey a "leading hub in international application development".
Additionally, the new manufacturing academy is said to help small and medium-sized businesses to adopt smarter manufacturing and AI techniques.
As part of the announcement released to the Turkish Apple Newsroom, Tim Cook said:
“Apple has been serving our customers and communities in Turkey for 35 years. With this new commitment, we are proud to support a new generation of innovative entrepreneurs in the coming years. Turkey's developer community is developing applications used all over the world. Small and medium-sized businesses, on the other hand, stand out as organizations that create opportunities all over the country. This investment gives developers and businesses access to Apple experts, as well as the training and resources they need to take their brightest ideas further.”
Apple says that the first of the developer academies, which run free 9-month-long programmes, will open next year, with all set to open by 2029.
The Apple Developer Centre, which provides hands-on learning and experiences to existing developers, will open in Istanbul next year, and joins five other centres that are already operational today, in Bengaluru, Berlin, Cupertino, Shanghai and Singapore.
The Apple Manufacturing Academy will open in Ankara in 2028, which provides training and consultation free of charge to smaller-sized businesses. This is the second ever academy of this type, and is the first to open outside of the United States.
Tim Cook's Turkey Visit
This news comes after a multi-day visit to the nation by former Apple CEO and current Executive Chairman Tim Cook.
Documenting his visit through his X account, Cook met with Turkish content creator Cem Başa on Sunday, and visited an Apple Store in Istanbul where he met with Apple Retail employees and customers.
Cook also visited Anıtkabir, the grave of Turkey's first president to pay his respects ahead of Atatürk Remembrance Day, which falls on the 10th of November.
Finally, Cook met with famous Turkish volleyball player Eda Erdem and had Turkish tea, before meeting with Turkish developers ahead of today's announcement.
