Turkey & Eurasia Business — 2026-09-23
Turkish conglomerates are betting big on culture to elevate Istanbul's global standing, while Türkiye, as COP31 host, launched a "climate-responsible AI" initiative pressing tech firms to run data centers on clean energy. On the macro front, IMF projections show Türkiye's economy reaching $1.9 trillion in output by 2030 amid a shifting global rankings race.
Turkey & Eurasia Business — 2026-09-23
Key Highlights
Climate-AI initiative ahead of COP31. Türkiye — the designated COP31 host country — unveiled on Monday a "climate-responsible AI" initiative urging technology companies to power their data centers with clean energy, positioning the country as a bridge between AI growth and climate policy ahead of the summit.
IMF growth projections. IMF projections put Türkiye's economy at $1.9 trillion in economic output by 2030, even as Indonesia moves ahead in the rankings and the global economy tops $150 trillion.
Business groups turn Istanbul into a cultural hub. Turkish conglomerates including Sabancı are investing heavily in culture to boost Istanbul's global appeal — from the Yoko Ono exhibition to İstanbul Modern's Renzo Piano-designed building.
Defense industry as soft power. An opinion piece in Daily Sabah argues Türkiye's defense industry is transforming technological capability into strategic influence and durable partnerships, with its message amplified from Poland.
Analysis
The clearest convergence this week is between Türkiye's climate diplomacy and its technology ambitions. Launching a "climate-responsible AI" initiative days ahead of hosting COP31 signals Ankara's intent to use the summit to shape how the global AI build-out is powered — potentially opening opportunities for Turkish renewable-energy suppliers and green data-center developers. Pair that with IMF forecasts of $1.9 trillion output by 2030, and a coherent picture emerges: Türkiye is trying to convert scale into influence — through climate policy, defense exports, and now cultural soft power.
What to Watch
- Follow-up commitments and corporate signatories to the "climate-responsible AI" initiative as COP31 approaches.
- Whether Türkiye's 2030 IMF growth path holds as other emerging economies, notably Indonesia, climb faster in output rankings.
- Continued cultural-sector investments by conglomerates like Sabancı and their impact on Istanbul's tourism and global-city positioning.
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