6 November 2026
Editorial · Secretariat
Secretariat communication record
On 3 November 2026 TURKPOL took part in Horizon4Poland'26 at The Tides in Warsaw, the fifth edition of one of Poland's main Horizon Europe partnering events. It was organised by the Horizon Europe Industry Contact Points of the Łukasiewicz Research Network under the theme "From Partnerships to European Impact". TURKPOL was not among the organisers: we were there with our strategic partner TIDE (Turkish Innovation Diaspora Europe), which chose the day for its first public appearance.
The Türkiye–Poland debate
TIDE's debate "Türkiye–Poland Strategic Investment Partnership" was opened by H.E. Rauf Alp Denktaş, Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Poland, and chaired by Atilla Arda Beşen, CEO of VolareVers and co-founder of TIDE. It looked at technology cooperation, joint investment and the role of the Turkish innovation diaspora in Europe. The full line-up is on our event page.
At the Innovation Expo
All day, the joint Türkiye / TIDE area at the Innovation Expo brought Turkish technology companies together with Polish and European participants, and one-to-one matchmaking meetings followed in the afternoon. Our thanks to the partners at the stand: Team Knocknock, VolareVers, Cittopia, TEOMAN Corp., FND - Future Network Development, Getlead and TAXNXT.
What TIDE set out
As reported by the press, TIDE's co-founder Mehmet Göktürk İplikçioğlu said that more than 40,000 Turkish technology professionals work across Europe, and that TIDE wants to turn "brain drain" into "brain circulation": helping Turkish start-ups reach the EU market and European companies find opportunities in Türkiye. TIDE starts with a pilot hub in Warsaw, plans to grow to eight regions across Europe, and plans business summits in Poland and Brussels. Türkiye takes part in Horizon Europe as an associated country.
TIDE was founded by Mehmet Göktürk İplikçioğlu, Tunç Meriç and Atilla Arda Beşen. TURKPOL President Tunç Meriç is among TIDE's co-founders.
In the press
The reports are about TIDE's launch; we list them here because they cover the day we took part in.
- Anadolu Agency's report, as published by Hürses, Ankaradar, En Son Dakika, Canlı Gazete and Damla (in Turkish)
- Daily Sabah: "Turkish innovation diaspora network eyes deeper tech ties with Poland" (in English), also on X
- Wisevoter: "Turkish Diaspora Group Debuts in Warsaw" (in English)
Thank you to the organisers, to the speakers, to TIDE and to everyone who stopped by. Companies working between Poland and Türkiye are welcome to join us: membership.