Apple plans five developer academies in Türkiye: Istanbul and Ankara timetable

Apple plans to open five developer academies in Türkiye over three years. The first academy and a separate Developer Center are scheduled for Istanbul in 2027, followed by a Manufacturing Academy offering free training and consultancy in Ankara in 2028.

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The investment announced on 9 November 2026 combines software-development education with support for advanced manufacturing. These are planned openings, not facilities already operating today.

The announced timetable

Apple's investment announcement

Apple announced a long-term investment in Türkiye to support the next generation of creators, innovators and manufacturers and help the country become a leading international centre for app development. The investment includes five new Apple Developer Academies and one Apple Developer Center, creating new career pathways for developers, students and entrepreneurs in Türkiye's digital app economy. A new Apple Manufacturing Academy will help small and medium-sized businesses adopt artificial intelligence and smart manufacturing techniques.

“Apple has served our customers and communities in Türkiye for 35 years. With this new commitment, we are proud to support the next generation of innovators in the years ahead,” said Apple's chairman Tim Cook. “Türkiye's developer community builds apps used around the world. Small and medium-sized businesses create opportunities across the country. This investment provides developers and businesses with the education and resources they need, as well as access to Apple experts, to take their brightest ideas even further.”

Five new Developer Academies

Apple says it remains committed to supporting Türkiye's vibrant digital app economy. It will open five developer academies across the country over the next three years to support the next generation of developers and entrepreneurs, with the first opening in Istanbul in 2027.

The academies will provide free, intensive nine-month programmes focused on coding, design, marketing, project management and AI technologies. Apple values incorporated into the curriculum encourage students to design with accessibility, privacy and sustainability in mind and to make a positive impact. The programmes aim to equip new entrepreneurs, developers and designers with the essential tools and training to find employment and create jobs in the growing app economy.

Since their foundation in 2013, Apple Developer Academies have provided students around the world with education in app development and entrepreneurship. Graduates publish apps on the App Store, establish their own businesses and support their communities through technology-based solutions. Apple currently has 19 Developer Academies worldwide. The five planned academies in Türkiye will extend those opportunities to thousands more students.

A separate Developer Center in Istanbul

Apple will also open an Apple Developer Center in Istanbul in 2027. It will offer developers, entrepreneurs and start-ups a hands-on learning experience with access to the latest tools, technologies and resources, alongside Apple experts and events. Once open, it will serve the country's growing developer community.

Supporting teams of every size at every stage of app development, the centre will host in-person events, workshops and one-to-one appointments across the country. Regular events will help developers expand their skills and improve their apps' design, quality and performance within Apple's ecosystem. Istanbul will join the developer centres in Bengaluru, Berlin, Cupertino, Shanghai and Singapore.

The new centre builds on Apple's investment in existing and emerging talent in Türkiye. This includes programmes such as the Swift Student Challenge, which invites students to demonstrate their creativity and coding abilities through apps while developing skills for their future careers. Student developers from Türkiye have been among the competition's winners, using Swift to create innovative apps addressing both local community needs and wider challenges.

Apple also provides developers with access to Apple Support and in-person programmes including Meet with Apple events, appointments and workshops. Resources such as the Apple Developer Forums help members of the community connect. AI-powered search on the Apple Developer website helps developers find answers more quickly through articles, documentation and other resources.

Images are archive photographs from Apple’s 2025 Manufacturing Academy announcement. They do not show the planned facility in Türkiye. Source: Apple.

Manufacturing Academy planned for Ankara in 2028

Apple will open a new Manufacturing Academy in Ankara in 2028, providing free training and consultancy to small and medium-sized businesses, students and innovators in Türkiye. It will be Apple's second manufacturing academy and its first outside the United States.

The academy will include a hands-on training laboratory and shared working spaces designed for live demonstrations, workshops and professional networking. A curriculum led by Apple experts will cover machine learning, predictive maintenance, advanced automation and robotics. Interactive workshops on lean operations and production efficiency will help participants adopt AI and smart manufacturing techniques.

By investing in people and institutional knowledge, the academy aims to support Türkiye's manufacturing sector, accelerate innovation and encourage the adoption of advanced technologies.

Investment amount and applications remain unannounced

Apple has not disclosed an investment amount, application dates, admissions conditions or the locations of the other four developer academies. The Ankara announcement concerns an education and consultancy facility, not an Apple production plant. The 2027 and 2028 dates describe future plans.

Source: Apple Newsroom, 9 November 2026. Tim Cook's remarks above are translated from the Turkish announcement.