Our country is preparing to take a giant step toward strengthening its digital infrastructure and technological independence. Speaking at the Informatics 500 Awards Ceremony, Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Dr. Ömer Fatih Sayan made critical statements regarding the country’s digital transformation strategy. Sayan announced that the 5G tender will be held in the coming months and that every corner of Turkey will be covered by 5G by 2026. Turkey will be introduced to 5G in 2026.
Turkey has started the countdown for 5G
In his speech, Sayan emphasized the importance of domestic and national technologies and stated, “We can never be fully independent with someone else’s technology or infrastructure. When you rise on someone else’s wings, your wings are suddenly clipped,” demonstrating Turkey’s determination in this process. Sayan stated that they aim to minimize external dependence on 5G and beyond technologies, emphasizing that this vision is not just rhetoric but is implemented through concrete actions.
Supporting Turkey’s current digital infrastructure’s readiness for this transition with figures, the Deputy Minister stated that the number of broadband subscribers has exceeded 96 million, and the fiber infrastructure length has exceeded 605,000 kilometers. He stated that these figures are the most concrete indicators of the goal of providing equal and equitable digital access to every corner of the country.
Not Just 5G, But 6G on the Agenda
Advancing the vision even further, Sayan said, “Today, I would like to proudly share with you that we have begun preparations for 6G-related technologies, moving beyond 5G, which is only at trial locations,” and stated that Turkey aims to solidify its position as a technology-producing country.
Deputy Minister Sayan’s statements gained even more significance when they were shared on the same platform as the striking results of the “IT 500” survey. According to the survey, the total revenue of Turkey’s top 500 IT companies increased by 56% compared to the previous year, reaching 1.1 trillion TL in 2024. In dollar terms, growth was recorded at a rate of 13%.
This dynamism in the sector is particularly evident in strategic areas:
Artificial Intelligence: Revenues increased by nearly 100% compared to the previous year.
Cloud Services: Revenues increased by 76%.
Local Software: Revenues from software produced in Turkey increased by 93% to 69 billion TL.
Exports: Software exports increased by 99%, exceeding 14 billion TL, while service exports grew by 78%.
This data demonstrates that Turkey has a domestic and national ecosystem capable of achieving high-technology goals such as 5G and 6G, and that this ecosystem is growing at a record pace. The combination of public vision and private sector dynamism is expected to further strengthen Turkey’s role in the digital future.
