Turkey fails to tax mobile internet applications

ISTANBUL - Anatolia News Agency

The Turkish government has enjoyed no tax income from the $200 million worth of applications downloaded from the Internet over the last four years, according to Kerem Alkin, head of the Mobile Service Provider Businessmen Association (MOBİLSAD).

“This means some $200 million escapes abroad without being taxed,” he told the Anatolia news agency in an interview made public yesterday.

There are 65.8 million mobile subscribers in Turkey according to March figures, he said, adding that the number of 3G service buyers increased to 8.9 million in the first quarter of the year from a mere 1.8 million in the same period last year.

These figures make Turkey one of the four fastest growing applications markets outside East Asia.
The global forecasted applications market for 2012 is $6.8 billion, which rise to $29.5 billion next year, according to a global sector report.