Turkish Programming Contest 2026
The Turkish Programming Contest 2026 brought university teams together for a season of problem-solving, collaboration, and connections that will continue beyond the contest itself. After the qualification rounds in İstanbul and Ankara on September 26, 20 teams from 10 universities made it to the final. They came together at Beykoz Kundura from the 9th to the 11th of October for the final weekend.
With 76 team applications from 20 universities, TPC 2026 connected students from across Türkiye through a shared interest in algorithms and competitive programming. The final weekend gave participants time to meet, exchange experiences, and learn about the international competitions ahead, alongside the five-hour Final Round on October 11.
The top three teams will represent Türkiye at SEERC 2026 (South Eastern European Regional Contest), taking place in Thessaloniki, Greece, on December 11–13. BEV Foundation will cover their travel and accommodation expenses.
About the Contest
Since 2019, the Turkish Programming Contest has brought together undergraduate students across Türkiye to strengthen their algorithmic thinking and teamwork skills. This purpose has remained at its core through both online and in-person editions. Teams of three students from the same university compete on algoleague, a programming platform developed by the inzva community, following the ICPC format.
In both the Qualification Round and the Final Round, teams had five hours to solve algorithmic problems without AI tools or access to online resources. As these tools become increasingly common, the contest gives students the confidence to rely on their own knowledge, reason independently, and develop solutions together.
TPC continues to grow through the contributions of students, alumni, volunteers, and supporters. This year’s event built on that shared effort, giving participants space to connect across universities and explore their next steps in the international ICPC competition circuit.
Support Behind the Contest
Lighter supported TPC 2026 as Main Sponsor, helping connect competitive programming with professional perspectives through a career conversation with participants. Levi’s, our Apparel Sponsor, supported the event with T-shirts.
We also thank Beykoz Kundura, which hosted the Istanbul Qualification Round and the final weekend. Bringing teams together in the same space made room for conversations, shared preparation, and friendships throughout the event.
Together with BEV Foundation's support for the top three teams' SEERC travel and accommodation, these contributions helped connect the national contest with opportunities to compete internationally.
Contributors and Community Effort
Preparations for TPC 2026 began in May, months before the teams arrived for the Qualification Round. The work included developing and testing problems, preparing the technical infrastructure, and coordinating the two-city qualification stage and the final weekend.
Across the two rounds, 21 algorithmic problems were prepared by contributors who had trained or taught within the inzva community. Their continued involvement reflects how participants return to support new generations of competitive programmers.
Anıl Dervişoğlu and Enes Saçak served as Technical Leads. The problem-setting team included Berke Dönmez, Murat Biberoğlu, Mustafa Bozdoğan, Şura Nur Ersarı, Duru Özer, Beyza Nur Deniz, Samet Birol, Berat Ersarı, Haşim Zafer Çiçek, Alperen Tupurtu, Emre Kırmızı, Samed Uslu, and Anıl Arda Ayık.
We also thank Hayrullah Güney and Umut Ertuğrul Daşgın for their volunteer contributions. From technical preparation to the on-site experience, TPC relied on the time and care of the people who helped bring it together.
JOURNEY OF TPC 2026
Applications and Qualification Round
TPC 2026 received 76 team applications from 20 universities. On September 26, 60 teams, comprising 180 contestants, participated in the Qualification Round across two cities:
| Location | Venue | Participating teams |
|---|---|---|
| Istanbul | Beykoz Kundura | 36 |
| Ankara | Tunçalp Özgen Congress and Culture Center | 24 |
| Total | 60 |
Teams faced 10 problems over five hours, competing for one of 20 places in the Final Round.
Three Days at Beykoz Kundura
All 20 finalist teams, representing 10 universities, joined the final weekend at Beykoz Kundura on October 9-11. The universities represented were Middle East Technical University, İhsan Doğramacı Bilkent University, Boğaziçi University, Koç University, Istanbul Technical University, Marmara University, Hacettepe University, Ankara University, Gebze Technical University, and Yıldız Technical University.
On Friday, October 9, teams arrived, registered, and settled in before the opening session. Board games and team meetups followed, allowing participants to get to know one another before the competition.
Saturday, October 10, began with a Career Talk with Lighter. The session offered participants direct access to professional insights, along with the chance to ask questions in person. A Meet & Greet and Networking Cocktail brought contestants together across teams and universities, followed by a Beykoz Kundura tour and time for team study and contest preparation.
That evening, “The ICPC Journey: Team Experiences and Next Steps” connected the weekend's competition with the international opportunities ahead. Moderated by Beşir Emre Say, the panel featured Berke İnan Tol, Yunus Taha Bingül, Enes Saçak, Yunus Diler, and Mustafa Bozdoğan, who shared their experiences at SEERC and EUC. Hearing from peers who had already taken those steps gave participants a closer view of the journey beyond TPC.
Across the three days, meals, shared preparation, and informal conversations gave teams time to become part of a wider competitive programming community.
The Final Round
On Sunday, October 11, from 10:00 to 15:00, the 20 teams competed in the TPC 2026 Final Round. Following the ICPC format, each team of three shared a single computer throughout the five-hour contest. With 11 problems to solve, teams had to coordinate their approach, divide tasks, and manage their computer time alongside problem selection, implementation, and testing.
Both the first- and second-place teams solved six problems, with penalty time determining their order. The third-place team solved five problems. The weekend concluded with a closing session and award ceremony celebrating the teams and the people behind the event.
Results and the Road to SEERC
The top three teams were:
| Place | Team | University | Members | Problems solved | Penalty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | okeye 4uncu bulamadik tpc geldik | Boğaziçi University | Fatih Solak, Şevket Onur Yılmaz, İbrahim Halil Kaplan | 6 | 840 |
| 2 | BTC | Middle East Technical University | Enes Çakıl, Yunus Taha Bingül, Berke İnan Tol | 6 | 1067 |
| 3 | The Other Cavaliers | Middle East Technical University | Azra Gürsoy, Muhammed Enes Yaşar, Metin Kasım Gürsoy | 5 | 701 |
BEV Foundation will cover travel and accommodation for these three teams at SEERC 2026.
In total, seven teams will attend SEERC: okeye 4uncu bulamadik tpc geldik, BTC, The Other Cavaliers, ucunculer, itu.exe, BU Sefer Affetmiyoz, and Sienne Staigas. Their participation will carry the connections and experience built at TPC into an international competition, representing Türkiye alongside teams from across the region.
The complete results are available on the TPC 2026 Final Round leaderboard.
Final Round Statistics
The Final Round recorded 265 submissions, including 81 accepted submissions and 184 unsuccessful submissions. Nine of the 11 problems received at least one accepted submission. The overall acceptance rate was approximately 31%.
| Problem | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total submissions | 19 | 30 | 38 | 43 | 8 | 1 | 32 | 0 | 27 | 63 | 4 | 265 |
| Accepted submissions | 15 | 5 | 21 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 81 |
| Unsuccessful submissions | 4 | 25 | 17 | 25 | 6 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 18 | 58 | 4 | 184 |
| Acceptance rate | 79% | 17% | 55% | 42% | 25% | 100% | 16% | 0% | 33% | 8% | 0% | 31% |
These figures count submissions, rather than unique teams solving each problem. Acceptance rates are rounded; the platform displays 0% for Problem H, which received no submissions.
Closing Remarks
TPC 2026 brought together students who share an interest in algorithms and gave them three days to compete, learn from one another, and build connections across universities. We extend our thanks to the organizing team, technical team, and volunteers whose months of preparation and dedication made the event possible, as well as the returning competitors who shared their experiences and helped others see where the ICPC journey could lead.
As the top three teams prepare to represent Türkiye at SEERC with BEV Foundation’s support, this year’s contest continues beyond Beykoz Kundura. We look forward to supporting their next steps and welcoming the community together again for the next edition of TPC.
All participants have to abide by our CODE OF CONDUCT and LETTER OF CONSENT.
A BEV Foundation project inzva is a non-profit hacker community organizing study and project groups as well as camps in the fields of AI and Algorithm; and gathering CS students, academics, and professionals in Turkey.
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