Turkey gears up efforts to turn digital game potential into gold

Erdinç Çelikkan HÜRRİYET / ANKARA

The Turkish government is reportedly planning to kick off efforts to imporve local digital gaming sector to turn game players’ potential into a solid sector.

The Turkish government is rolling up its sleeves to improve the local digital game market, which has reached over $300 million over the past few years, using a new roadmap.

As part of the a study to be carried out jointly by the Economy Ministry and the Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology, the government will prepare a strategy and action plan to decide on the steps that needed to be taken.

The moves will aim to improve the local gaming culture among Turkey’s 22 million game players, as well as encouraging foreign players to engage with local business partners.

Turkey’s first and biggest science and technology park is located in Ankara, ODTÜ Teknokent, which was established by the Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ), will also join the project that foresees the establishment of a detailed roadmap.

Government sources say the digital gaming culture in Turkey is very popular due to the country’s young population, meaning there is potential for further improvement in the sector.

“The Turkish digital market reached around $300 million in 2012. In South Korea, which resembles Turkey in terms of the number of players, the market is around $2 billion. Therefore, it [the sector] has great potential to become an important domestic market for our country,” a government official told daily Hürriyet.

“There is a chance to turn this potential into export,” the official said.