Turkish postal service takes leading role in e-commerce

Eray Görgülü - ANKARA

The Turkish state-owned postal service is being upgraded to function as the country’s major tool of exporting via e-commerce channels, the transportation and infrastructure minister told daily Hürriyet on June 29.

“PTT is one of the leading institutions in adapting to digital transformation with its investments,” Adil Karaismailoğlu said, referring to the 180-year-old institution’s recently opened e-shopping and online cargo services.

PTT’s online shopping portal, ePTTavm.com, provides assistance to the Turkish producers in customs clearance and export transactions, the minister said.

“Domestic producers can export to tens of countries under the guarantee of the PTT without any extra application or cost, having access to the world markets extensively,” said Karaismailoğlu.

The Transportation Ministry has developed several projects to support e-commerce and online export tools, he said, including technology investments, increasing logistical infrastructure capacity, forming new global business partnerships and creating a competent workforce, according to his remarks.

As part of these projects, Turkey is also planning to establish e-commerce warehouses in some countries to achieve operational efficiency, he added.

“We are aiming to establish or co-invest in warehouses and fulfillment centers in Britain, Germany and Russia,” Karaismailoğlu said.

“Our target is becoming one of the most important platforms in the region with our e-commerce and e-export volume. We predict that we can become one of the top five platforms in our region. We can pioneer a new e-commerce and e-export model with our logistical infrastructure, human resources and technology.”

There are about 1.9 billion e-commerce channel users around the world and the figure is rising rapidly amid the coronavirus pandemic, said the minister.

The Turkish exports neared $10 billion last month in the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic, down 40.9 percent from the same month last year, according to preliminary Trade Ministry data released on June 2.

Exports increased 10.8 percent in May compared with the previous month, when the restrictions to curb the pandemic were imposed strictly in the industrial zones and customs gates.

Automotive exports jumped 95.5 percent, ready-wear exports rose 45.5 percent, and textile and defense exports climbed 35.5 percent and 33.9 percent, respectively.

Turkish exports reached 206 markets in May, with Germany, the United States and Iraq being the top three countries as in the previous months. Turkey’s main import partners were China, Germany and Russia, as usual.