“Gaming Panel in the Second Century” Sheds Light on the Digital Future

On May 22, 2025, the "Gaming in the Second Century Panel," hosted by the Ankara Chamber of Industry, examined Turkey's vision in digital gaming and simulation technologies with the participation of representatives from the public sector, academia, and the private sector.

The panel was moderated by Dr. Gökçe Yıldırım Kalkan, General Manager of Simsoft and Vice President of the 35th Computer Software Industry Professional Committee of the Ankara Chamber of Industry.

The event comprehensively evaluated the economic power of the gaming sector, its role in creative industries, its potential use in education and defense, the entrepreneurship ecosystem, and the effects of artificial intelligence and simulation technologies.

Key topics highlighted in the panel included:

• It was emphasized that the Turkish gaming sector has reached a size of $1.3 billion, provides direct and indirect employment to 20,000 people, and ranks among the top five in Europe in terms of investments in gaming startups.
• Representatives from the Ministry of Youth and Sports underlined the importance of training conscious digital gamers and the contribution of e-sports to the technological literacy of young people.
• A representative from Hacettepe University... Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ufuk Çelikçi shared the importance of academy-industry collaborations in training qualified human resources.
• Mr. Türker Karahan, CEO of game developer UDO, stated that Turkey has a global competitive advantage in game technologies and that the creative production culture lies at the heart of this success.

Dr. Gökçe Yıldırım Kalkan emphasized the following during the panel:

“Gaming is no longer just entertainment; it is a strategic tool in many areas, from education to defense, from economics to culture. Turkey has the potential to be one of the important actors in this transformation.”

The event was held as part of the “In the Second Century” event series, focusing on different themes of the digital age, by the 35th Computer Software Professional Committee of the Ankara Chamber of Industry.

To watch the full panel: YouTube – Gaming in the Second Century Panel