Yandex Türkiye and SBTU launch the “Anatolian Hackathon” competition for young talents
Applications for the hackathon, which will be supported by consultancy from Yandex Türkiye experts, will open on January 12, 2026. In the award-winning hackathon, to be held online between February 6–11, 2026, young talents will develop products in the fields of public transportation, delivery, and weather.
DATE — Yandex Türkiye and Sivas University of Science and Technology (SBTU) are launching the Anatolian Hackathon, a product competition focused on developing innovative solutions to real-life problems in Türkiye. In this competition, which will be open to students from 20 universities within the Anatolian Universities Association as well as students from all regions of Türkiye, future product managers, machine learning engineers, data scientists, software developers, and analysts will come together. Registrations for the hackathon will open on January 12, 2026, and the competition will be held online between February 6–11, 2026.
New career opportunities open up for young people
As the first competition of its kind to be held in the region, the Anatolian Hackathon will offer students new educational and career opportunities through Yandex Türkiye’s expertise in artificial intelligence. During the one-week online hackathon, participants will develop solutions to three different real-life scenarios that can be implemented across Türkiye, ranging from the optimization of public transportation and delivery routes to improving the way weather information is presented to users.
Participants will test their competencies in areas such as product and project management, machine learning engineering, data science, software development, and analytics. Teams will work with synthetic datasets provided by Yandex Türkiye, approach case studies with a product development focus, and receive consultancy from the company’s experts.
Following the online stages, the hackathon will conclude with a final and closing event to be held in the physical facilities of the Sivas University of Science and Technology campus. The event will feature interactive experience areas, and expert academics and professionals will deliver inspiring talks. In this way, Sivas’s strengthening role in promoting STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) education in the region will be highlighted.
Strong collaboration for equal opportunity in education
Implemented in line with the “Century of Türkiye” vision, this initiative aims to support young talents in Anatolia through science and advanced technology, and to improve the quality of life of people living in Türkiye with innovative, solution-oriented products that will emerge within the scope of the competition.
Through this project carried out in collaboration with SBTU, Yandex Türkiye offers equal opportunities to students and young professionals across Türkiye to develop projects that provide solutions for real-life challenges, while enabling young experts to enhance their skills.
Alexander Popovskiy, CEO of Yandex Search International and General Manager of Yandex Türkiye, stated the following regarding the initiative: “At Yandex Türkiye, we invest not only in technology but also in people, who are the true source of innovation. By placing particular importance on regional educational initiatives and institutions, we aim to support Türkiye’s next generation of technology talents.”
Prof. Dr. Mehmet Kul, Rector of Sivas University of Science and Technology, said: “Hosting this competition is a unique opportunity for us. In this way, we offer new opportunities to all students and young professionals across our country to produce innovative and technological solutions to real-life problems, while strengthening Sivas’s position as a rising national technology hub.”
About Yandex Türkiye
Yandex Türkiye focuses on developing and implementing new technologies to improve people’s quality of life and enhance the digital ecosystem in Türkiye. The company offers an ecosystem covering many services such as search, ride-hailing, advertising, geolocation services, and cloud solutions to users in Türkiye. To stay informed about the latest developments, you can follow Yandex Türkiye on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and X.
