Another historical threshold is being crossed in Türkiye’s semiconductor adventure. The domestic microcontroller “Çelik” and eFPGA architecture “Saka” processors, developed in cooperation with Beko and Yongatek Microelectronics, have completed the design process and reached the “Tape Out” stage. This term means that the design of the chips is finished and they are ready to be sent to the factory for mass production. It is planned that these chips, which are aimed to start mass production in 2026, will initially be at the heart of millions of home appliances and make Turkey a global player in this field.

Technical Specifications: What Does Çelik and Saka Offer?

Çelik MCU (Microcontroller), which Yongatek and Beko are working on, is based on 32-bit RISC-V architecture, one of the most popular open standards in the modern technology world. With its single-core structure, the processor is designed especially considering the balance of energy efficiency and cost.

When we look at the technical details of Çelik, we see that it has hardware features such as 128 KiB Flash memory, 64 KiB RAM and 32 KiB ROM. This chip, which has an operating frequency between 24 MHz and 50 MHz, can operate smoothly in a wide temperature range between -20 and 85 degrees. This durability paves the way for the chip to be used not only in home appliances but also in industrial solutions.

On the other hand, Saka FPGA aims for more flexible usage areas by offering a programmable structure. Integrated with a RISC-V based microcontroller, this eFPGA architecture offers a scalable structure.

Just like Çelik, Saka operates in the 24-50 MHz frequency range and adapts to various application circuits by supporting different logic blocks. These two chips move Türkiye’s design capability beyond raw silicon and position it at a value-added point.

Traces of the Past: The Chip Adventure from TESTAŞ to Today

This success talked about today is actually considered as a reflection of Türkiye’s 50 years of experience and missed opportunities. While the world was shaping up around transistors in the mid-1970s, Türkiye joined this race just in time by establishing TESTAŞ.

Modern facilities are planned and technology transfers are made in Ankara and Aydın. In fact, YİTAL (Semiconductor Technologies Research Laboratory), which is still a living technical memory today, was sprouting in this period.

However, a historical opportunity that came to Türkiye in the late 1980s cannot be taken advantage of. Samsung executives of the period visit Türkiye, examine TESTAŞ facilities and propose joint production. Samsung’s plan to establish a regional base is shelved due to bureaucratic obstacles and lack of investment continuity.

While Samsung, the world giant today, was on this path in those years, Turkey is only trying to catch up with this trend today with programs such as HIT-30. The steel chip has great symbolic value as compensation for these missed opportunities.

The Chances of Domestic Chips and Competitors in the Global Market

This move by Yongatek and Beko stands out not only as a matter of local pride but also as an economic strategy. The global microcontroller market is today dominated by giants such as STMicroelectronics (STM), Renesas, NXP and Infineon. STM’s STM32 series is considered the world standard in 32-bit processors used especially in the white goods and automotive industries.

The biggest advantage of the Steel chip against these giant Competitors is the license independence and customizable structure brought by the RISC-V architecture. The fact that a giant manufacturer such as Beko will use millions of these chips in its own products has the potential to rapidly increase the market share of the chip. If Çelik can compete with its rivals such as STM or Renesas in the balance of cost and performance, it will find a place for itself not only in Turkey but also in the global supply chain.

HIT-30 and 2026 Goals

This project, supported within the scope of HIT-30, Turkey’s high-technology investment program, shows the strategic importance the state attaches to chip production.

The Çelik chip, which is planned to be produced in 2026, symbolizes Turkey’s goal of carrying its success in the defense industry to civilian technologies and consumer electronics. The successful completion of the design phase proves that Türkiye can now stand on its own feet not only in software but also in hardware architecture.