Executive Summary
Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a defining arena of national power and global diplomacy. Its rapid evolution is reshaping power dynamics, economic competitiveness, and national security. As the world races to harness AI’s transformative potential, influence remains concentrated among major powers, primarily the United States and China. In this context, middle powers are seeking ways to counterbalance that concentration. Türkiye’s hosting of the AI Tomorrow Summit in June 2026 makes a clear statement. The event will gather global experts, policymakers, and industry leaders to accelerate AI innovation and collaboration. Türkiye’s leadership in AI shows how middle powers can enter the global AI conversation, challenge the status quo, and advocate for a more multipolar technological order. The Summit also reflects Türkiye’s role in shaping global standards, fostering inclusive development, and supporting digital sovereignty, offering a model for other middle powers seeking to avoid technological marginalization.
Introduction
Artificial intelligence has emerged as a central marker of technological progress, economic growth, and geopolitical influence. Having a ‘seat at the table’ in the AI-driven era demands proactive investment, pragmatic policymaking, and strategic alliances. In a global system where two superpowers dominate AI innovation and governance, middle powers must act to ensure a more equitable distribution of technological capabilities and influence. Türkiye’s upcoming AI Tomorrow Summit shows how middle powers are using multilateral platforms to amplify their voices and shape the rules of engagement. The summit also marks a pivotal moment as Gulf states and other actors invest heavily to claim their stake in the global AI landscape (Graham & Nicol-Schwarz, 2026).
Against this backdrop, Türkiye’s approach to AI aligns with other middle powers’ broader goals of economic resilience, societal advancement, and international influence. By leveraging opportunities such as the AI Tomorrow Summit, Türkiye—and, by extension, other middle powers—shows how to carve out a space for independent innovation, coalition-building, and norm-setting, even as major-power rivalry shapes the AI ecosystem. The summit will showcase Türkiye’s potential and foster strategic partnerships and policy action beyond national borders (Davut, 2026).
Discussion
Regional Competition and Geopolitical Stakes
Nations around the world are rushing to secure strategic investments in the global AI market, which is expected to generate trillions of dollars by 2030 (UNCTAD, 2025). In the Middle East, countries like the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have announced multi-billion-dollar investments in AI research, infrastructure, and talent development. The Gulf’s AI hub was a bet to leverage vast wealth and stake a claim in the international information race. However, recent regional conflicts are testing the resilience of Gulf states’ ambitions to become a “global hub for artificial intelligence” (Graham and Nicol-Schwarz, 2026), raising concerns about investor confidence, cyber infrastructure, and energy security. These pressures underscore the strategic significance of AI for national security and sovereignty.
Türkiye arguably sits at the epicentre of the world’s most strategic crossroad—geographically, politically, culturally, and technologically. Its robust investment in digital transformation and AI-driven solutions can position it as a counterweight to Gulf ambitions. Failing to assert itself or keep pace within the new AI-based order could exacerbate current geopolitical developments and asymmetric threats. As regional competitors pour billions into AI, Türkiye seizes this moment to advance global standards, digital sovereignty, and a more inclusive technological future (Graham & Nicol-Schwarz, 2026). Türkiye’s AI Tomorrow Summit is a declaration of intent: to be a competitive player in the coming world order.
AI is central to diplomacy.
The global AI landscape is characterized by rapid technological change and evolving regulatory frameworks. Türkiye’s summit emphasises that to have a seat at the table, countries must move from consuming imported AI technologies to contributing to global standards and best practices. The summit’s emphasis on ethical and inclusive AI development resonates with growing international concerns about algorithmic bias, privacy, and the societal impacts of automation.
AI’s rapid growth threatens a technological oligarchy led by the U.S. and China, which control 60% of all AI patents and publications (UNCTAD, 2025; Down & Milmo, 2026). Türkiye is uniquely positioned to bridge East and West, using the summit to leverage its geopolitical location and diverse talent pool to foster dialogue and cooperation between different regulatory traditions and innovation ecosystems. By actively participating in international standard-setting bodies and forging strategic alliances with both advanced and emerging AI powers, Türkiye’s “New Era New Responsibilities” (Davut, 2026) discussion can help define the future trajectory of responsible and human-centred AI.
Türkiye’s ‘Cyber Homeland’
Türkiye has openly stated its national mission to strengthen Turkish investment in artificial intelligence models as a strategic issue to secure representation in the global AI system and technology market (Daily Sabah, 2026). National strategies prioritise creating a dynamic ecosystem for AI research and entrepreneurship, with an emphasis on education, infrastructure, and public-private partnerships (Davut, 2026). Initiatives to modernize the workforce, invest in STEM education, and incentivize innovation are gaining traction, with a growing number of AI startups and research labs emerging across the country (Daily Sabah, 2026).
Türkiye’s digital transformation strategy is inseparable from its national vision of economic power, global competitiveness, and societal resilience (Kamadan, 2026). The AI Tomorrow Summit serves as a launchpad to consolidate these gains, foster new collaborations, and signal Türkiye’s readiness as the latest middle power to shape the next wave of technological innovation (Daily Sabah, 2026).
Conclusion
The AI Tomorrow Summit presents a prime example of a growing movement among middle powers to resist technological marginalization and counterbalance the entrenched dominance of major powers in AI. Türkiye’s proactive national strategy aims to secure a lasting impact and a prominent position in the evolving global AI ecosystem, demonstrating how middle powers can coordinate, innovate, and influence the rules of the game. Türkiye’s vision for AI leadership is ambitious but achievable. With strategic investment, international cooperation, and a commitment to ethical innovation, Türkiye can secure a seat at the table and help shape it.
References
Daily Sabah (2026). People’s Alliance of AK Party, MHP dominates Türkiye’s by-elections. [online] Daily Sabah. Available at: https://www.dailysabah.com/politics/elections/peoples-alliance-of-ak-party-mhp-dominates-turkiyes-by-elections.
Davut, Mert (2026). Türkiye to demonstrate potential at global stage AI Tomorrow Summit in June. [online] Anadolu. Available at: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkiye/turkiye-to-demonstrate-potential-at-global-stage-ai-tomorrow-summit-in-june/3945881.
Down, A., Lucía, A. and Milmo, D. (2026). Billions spent and hypothetical returns: the AI boom explained with six charts. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jun/07/billions-spent-hypothetical-returns-the-ai-boom-explained-with-six-charts.
Graham, E. and Nicol-Schwarz, K. (2026). The Middle East war is testing the Gulf’s ambitions to become an AI hub. [online] CNBC. Available at: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/24/middle-east-war-testing-gulfs-ambitions-to-become-ai-hub.html.
UNCTAD (2025). AI Market Projected to Hit $4.8 Trillion by 2033, Emerging as Dominant Frontier Technology. [online] UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Available at: https://unctad.org/news/ai-market-projected-hit-48-trillion-2033-emerging-dominant-frontier-technology.