Yandex to capture 20 percent of Turkish market

ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News

Yandex Turkey Chair Yalçındağ is confident that Yandex could capture 20 pct of the local market in three to five years. DAILY NEWS photo, Hasan ALTINIŞIK

Russian search engine Yandex is getting ready to provide stiff competition to internet search engine Google, which currently dominates 100 percent of the Turkish market.
 
With its new office and new Chair Mehmet Ali Yalçındağ, Yandex Turkey will seek to challenge Google’s 100 percent monopoly, according to an interview Yalçındağ gave to daily Akşam.

“When Google turns its head and looks back, it will see a friendly, but fast approaching Yandex at its heels,” said Yalçındağ.

“Even if we make no effort to market or introduce our products, I believe that in three to five years,
we could capture 15 to 20 percent of the Turkish market,” added Yalçındağ. However, Yalçındağ believes that with its young and dynamic team, which is open to novelty, Yandex could capture an even larger piece of the pie.

Ads to be primary income source
Yandex’s primary source of income in the Turkish market is going to be advertisement revenues, according to Yalçındağ.

In Russia, Yandex is the leader in direct advertising. Once it captures a certain market share in Turkey, Yandex will begin instituting its advertising products, Yalçındağ added.

Yalçındağ was chosen earlier in the month as the Chair for Yandex Turkey.

Yalçındağ has held several leadership positions with the Doğan Group since the 1990s, and has been the chair of Doğan Yayın Holding since 1999.