Turkey’s information and communication tech sector grows despite tough conditions
ISTANBUL - Anadolu Agency
CİHAN photo
The size of Turkey’s information and communication technology (ICT) sector increased 18 percent in 2015 over the previous year, amounting to 83 billion Turkish liras ($28 billion), an informatics association said May 31.Speaking to reporters, the head of the Istanbul-based Informatics Industry Association (TÜBİSAD), Kübra Erman Karaca, said this increase was achieved within a difficult context, as Turkey went through two general elections, macroeconomic problems and a geopolitical crisis in 2015.
“The ICT sector also employed 113,000 people and increased its exports to 2.2 billion Turkish liras [$745 million],” said Karaca, adding that the effects of currency fluctuations however influenced the sector negatively.
The head of Turkey’s Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK), Omer Fatih Sayan, said the country had gained ground in the ICT sector recently by progressing to advanced fourth-generation (4G) telecom services.
“But we need more technological infrastructure and qualified employees in this sector to boost the trade volume,” Sayan added.
Dubbed 4.5G in Turkey, 4G services became operational on April 1.
According to the Turkish Prime Ministry’s Investment Support and Promotion Agency (ISPAT), Turkey is well aware of the fact that this sector will have a much more influential role in the future than it currently has.
IT spending on hardware, software, IT services and telecommunication services in Turkey are expected to increase to $30 billion by 2017 while increasing the ICT sector’s size to $160 billion, with a market growth of around 15 percent each year until 2023, the agency said.
“The ICT sector also employed 113,000 people and increased its exports to 2.2 billion Turkish liras [$745 million],” said Karaca, adding that the effects of currency fluctuations however influenced the sector negatively.
The head of Turkey’s Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK), Omer Fatih Sayan, said the country had gained ground in the ICT sector recently by progressing to advanced fourth-generation (4G) telecom services.
“But we need more technological infrastructure and qualified employees in this sector to boost the trade volume,” Sayan added.
Dubbed 4.5G in Turkey, 4G services became operational on April 1.
According to the Turkish Prime Ministry’s Investment Support and Promotion Agency (ISPAT), Turkey is well aware of the fact that this sector will have a much more influential role in the future than it currently has.
IT spending on hardware, software, IT services and telecommunication services in Turkey are expected to increase to $30 billion by 2017 while increasing the ICT sector’s size to $160 billion, with a market growth of around 15 percent each year until 2023, the agency said.