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Apple is significantly expanding its training offerings in Turkey: Five Developer Academies, a Developer Center in Istanbul, and a Manufacturing Academy in Ankara are planned for the coming years. The Manufacturing Academy is the truly novel step, as such institutions previously only existed in the USA.
Apple announced a multi-year investment in Turkey on November 9th. The announcement in the Turkish Apple Newsroom outlines three key components: five new Apple Developer Academies, an Apple Developer Center in Istanbul, and an Apple Manufacturing Academy in Ankara. The target audience includes app developers, students, entrepreneurs, and small and medium-sized businesses.
Apple hasn't disclosed a specific sum, nor has it revealed partner universities or the cities of the other four academies. However, the dates are confirmed: the first Developer Academy and Developer Center will open in Istanbul in 2027, followed by the Manufacturing Academy in 2028. The Developer Center will succeed the first European center in Berlin, which Apple announced in June.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Apple plans to open five Developer Academies in Turkey within three years, the first in Istanbul in 2027.
- Also in 2027, an Apple Developer Center will open in Istanbul, the sixth worldwide after Bengaluru, Berlin, Cupertino, Shanghai and Singapore.
- In 2028, an Apple Manufacturing Academy will open in Ankara, the first outside the USA.
- Developer Academy and Manufacturing Academy are free; the Developer Academy lasts nine months.
- Apple does not disclose the investment amount.
Five academies for up-and-coming app developers
The Developer Academies offer nine-month, free intensive programs. The curriculum includes programming, design, marketing, project management, and AI. According to Apple, accessibility, data privacy, and sustainability are integral parts of the course content.
There are currently 19 of these academies worldwide; the program has been running since 2013. With the five Turkish locations, Apple would have 24. The establishment of five academies in one country is not an isolated case: Apple has already set up five locations in Indonesia, most recently in Jakarta.
The announcement does not specify where the four additional academies will be located after Istanbul. Apple only mentions locations throughout the country and that thousands of students are expected to benefit.
A Developer Center for Istanbul
The Developer Center is aimed at developers, founders, and startups—teams of all sizes and at every stage of app development. Planned events include on-site workshops and individual appointments with Apple experts who will provide support for app design, quality, and performance.
This expands the network to six centers. In addition to Istanbul, Apple lists Bengaluru, Berlin, Cupertino, Shanghai, and Singapore, with Berlin scheduled to open later this year. It will be the obvious choice for developers from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Ankara will get the first manufacturing academy outside the USA
The third component differs significantly from the other two. The Apple Manufacturing Academy in Ankara, starting in 2028, will provide free training and consulting to small and medium-sized enterprises, students, and entrepreneurs. This will include a training lab, live demonstrations, workshops, and spaces for networking.
The course covers topics such as machine learning, predictive maintenance, automation and robotics, as well as streamlined processes and more efficient production. Apple experts will be teaching the courses.
According to Apple, Ankara is its second Manufacturing Academy. The first launched in Detroit in August 2025, in partnership with Michigan State University, and hosted its first major event with hundreds of manufacturers at the end of April. Apple operates its Houston training center, which opened in August, under its own name as the Advanced Manufacturing Center and does not classify it as an academy.
Developers and SMEs in focus
The statement quotes Tim Cook, now chairman of the board since John Ternus took over as CEO in early September. Cook first refers to Apple's history in the country:
Apple has been serving customers and communities in Turkey for 35 years. We are proud to support a new generation of innovative entrepreneurs in the coming years with this new commitment.
He then focuses on the two target groups:
Turkey's developer community builds apps that are used worldwide. Small and medium-sized enterprises create opportunities throughout the country.
Why Ankara is the real new building block
Developer Academies and Developer Centers are proven formats that Apple has been expanding into new countries for years. The Manufacturing Academy, on the other hand, is a program that Apple has traditionally linked closely to its investment commitments in the US. Therefore, I consider the move to Ankara to be the most revealing detail of the announcement: For the first time, Apple is decoupling the format from US industrial policy and offering manufacturing expertise even where American supply chains are not involved.
For readers in German-speaking countries, nothing changes directly. Developers who want to meet Apple's experts in person should look to Berlin, not Istanbul. However, I expect Apple to expand the manufacturing format from Ankara to other countries as soon as the concept proves successful there.
Would you like to see a Manufacturing Academy in German-speaking countries, perhaps for medium-sized suppliers, or is such a program unnecessary here? Let us know in the comments which industry would benefit most.
