Inside Turkey's plan for world's largest startup hub at Ataturk Airport

Inside Turkey's plan for world's largest startup hub at Ataturk Airport Submitted by Ragip Soylu on Tue, 07/28/2026 - 12:38 The first phase of Terminal Istanbul will launch in August, with US international accelerators, Chinese venture capital firms and Arab investors already seeking space Terminal Istanbul will eventually host hundreds of startups, technology companies and investors, turning the former airport into a new hub for connections (Handout) Off When the car turns on to the side road leading to international departures at Istanbul's now-abandoned Ataturk Airport, the sounds of construction and new red lettering above the entrance stir old memories. Once the beating heart of Istanbul, the vast airport carried millions of passengers to destinations around the world from the 1950s until its closure in 2018. Today, it sits largely empty at the centre of the city's transport network.