National EU Code Week Hackathon Türkiye: celebrating youth innovation and teamwork
23/01/26
National EU Code Week Hackathon Türkiye: celebrating youth innovation and teamwork
On 30 December 2025, the EU Code Week Türkiye Hackathon brought young innovators together for a fast-paced national showcase of ideas, teamwork and digital creativity.
Organised in collaboration with the Ministry of National Education, the event built on an impressive wave of interest: nearly 120 hackathon ideas were submitted and evaluated, with 11 teams selected to compete at the final event (10 teams were planned, but the 10th and 11th teams received the same score, so 11 teams advanced).
Across themes such as future jobs, health, agriculture, sustainability and education, participants demonstrated what Code Week is all about: learning by doing, building with technology, and working together to create solutions that matter.
From ideas to finalists: how teams were selected
The Türkiye Hackathon began with a strong pipeline of creative proposals.
- Nearly 120 ideas were reviewed by a preliminary judging panel
- 11 teams were selected to compete at the national event
- Each team included 4 to 6 participants
- Final presentations were evaluated by a jury of 5 judges
The result was an exciting line-up of school-based teams ready to pitch, prototype and problem-solve in real time.
Event flow: pitching, judging and celebration
The national hackathon followed a clear structure, starting with a welcome and moving into team presentations, jury deliberation and the final announcement.
Programme at a glance
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 13:00–13:10 | Hackathon introduction and overview of the flow |
| 13:10–13:20 | Opening remarks: Hande Baloğlu Toker, Genç Başarı Eğitim Vakfı board member |
| 13:20–13:30 | Opening remarks: Sümeyye Hatice Eral, General Directorate of Innovation and Education Technologies, Head of Digital Skills Department |
| 13:30–16:45 | Team presentations (with breaks) |
| 16:45–17:00 | Jury final evaluation |
| 17:00–17:15 | Announcement of results and closing |
Finalist teams who presented
- Ali Güral Lisesi
- Demirören Medya ve Teknoloji Mesleki ve Teknik Anadolu Lisesi
- Sezai Karakoç Anadolu Lisesi
- Sabancı Mesleki ve Teknik Anadolu Lisesi
- Halil Kale Fen Lisesi
- Rize Türkiye ve Odalar Birliği Fen Lisesi
- Taşköprü Fen Lisesi
- Ankara Fen Lisesi
- Şehit Gökhan Bayraktar Anadolu Lisesi
- Ankara Atatürk Lisesi
- Pertevniyal Lisesi
The winning team: ETHOS AI
After the final scoring, ETHOS AI achieved the highest score and won first place.
Their winning idea focused on healthcare solutions, reflecting the hackathon’s emphasis on using technology for real-world impact.
As national winners, ETHOS AI earned the right to represent Türkiye at the EU Hackathon event in March.
Thank you to everyone who made it possible
Hackathon Türkiye was a strong example of what happens when education leaders, mentors and young people come together around a shared mission: building confidence, creativity and digital skills through hands-on challenges.
A big thank you to:
- All participating students and teams for their creativity and commitment
- Mentors and teachers for supporting preparation and teamwork
- The judging panel for their time and expert evaluation
- Our collaborators at the Ministry of National Education and the wider Code Week community
“Birlikte ürettik, birlikte öğrendik ve geleceğe değer kattık.”
What’s next?
Congratulations again to ETHOS AI as they prepare to represent Türkiye at the EU-level hackathon in March. We cannot wait to see how their idea develops, and to celebrate even more youth-led digital innovation across Europe.
Want to join the EU Code Week movement? Explore activities, resources, and ways to take part at codeweek.eu.
Related: Read more about another national hackathon on the Code Week blog: National EU Code Week Hackathon Croatia.
