Int'l gaming expo GIST 2020 kicks off in Istanbul

An international game, e-sports and digital entertainment expo Gaming Istanbul (GIST) 2020 started in Istanbul on Thursday.

The four-day event, where over 100,000 people visited last year, aims to gather tens of thousands international gamers at the Eurasia Show and Art Center.

The fifth edition of the expo is hosting gamers, gaming professionals and well-known technology companies -- including Asus, Intel, Google, and Logitech from all around the world.

The event is providing e-sports and gaming tournaments with prizes, cosplay activities, mobile gaming area, and workshops.

As part of the expo, panels and seminars are organized in several fields such as game development, design and marketing.

The expo is organized by France-based GL Events, which has so far arranged over 4,000 international events, including the 2012 London Olympics and Cannes Movie Festival.

Turkey, which exports games worth over $1 billion annually, is a key player in the sector with its young population.

The country is expected to gain $10 billion in game export within five years.

The GIST 2020 expo is among biggest gaming events in Europe and the Middle East.