‘Turkey makes investments to protect its data’

BURSA- Anadolu Agency

Turkey is making necessary investments to protect its data within the country, said participants at a major economic conference on March 23.

"We will save every single byte of our data as we save every handful of our land," Ali Taha Koç, head of the Presidential Digital Transformation Office, told the 8th Uludağ Economy Summit in Bursa, northwestern Turkey.       

This valuable Turkish data could be turned into a weapon, and even NATO sees cyber security as critical, he added.       

Data is the most important thing for artificial intelligence (Al), Koç stressed.       

He added: "Turkey should take part in the future of Al, as in the future AI will touch everywhere.       

"We will prepare our first AI strategy document by the end of 2019 with the help of our ministries," he said.     

Koç highlighted that public institutions will have a data-sharing standard and Turkey will provide an open-door policy for data usage.       

"For example, if the Health Ministry wants to make cardiac disease investment somewhere, it should know the cardiac disease statistics and risks there," he noted.       

He also said: "Big technology brands are established in countries, which provide digital transformation. Turkey should provide digital transformation."       

Ömer Fatih Sayan, the deputy transport and infrastructure minister, also said that Turkey is making necessary investments to keep Turkey's data safe within the country.       

"With indigenous and national technology, we're working to reach the best position in transportation and communication by 2023," Turkey's centennial, he underlined.       

The two-day Uludağ Economy Summit, which started on March 22, focuses on industry, trade, manufacturing, finance, energy, agriculture and technology.