Studies

Our institution participates at the national level in:

the activities of the Transformation Leaders Board, consisting of representatives of institutions and organizations directly responsible for the actions included in the Information Society Strategy Action Plan implemented by the decision of the High Planning Council No. 2006/38, as well as university and municipal representatives;
the meetings of the “e-Transformation Turkey Executive Board,” established under the chairmanship of the State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister for the high-level guidance and monitoring of the e-Transformation Turkey Project pursuant to General Circular No. 2003/48 dated December 3, 2003;
the activities of the relevant working groups established under the e-Transformation Turkey Project.

Our institution also follows the work conducted at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

Our institution;

World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)
Internet Governance Forum (IGF)

participates in and contributes to the activities.

The World Summit on the Information Society, coordinated by the ITU, is a World Summit whose first phase took place in Switzerland in December 2003 and second phase in Tunisia in November 2005. Referred to as a "two-phase, single Summit" and based on a decision taken by the ITU in 1998, the summit addressed important issues such as Internet governance, financial mechanisms that can be used to reduce the digital divide, and a follow-up system to implement and monitor the decisions taken at the Summit.

The first phase of the World Summit on the Information Society, held in Geneva in December 2003, was attended by more than 11,000 participants from 175 countries. The purpose of the Summit was stated as “developing a common vision and understanding for the information society; adopting an action plan and a declaration of principles to be implemented by governments, international organizations, the private sector, and civil society; and taking concrete steps to establish the necessary organizations for an information society for everyone.”

In addition to 50 heads of state and their deputies, 82 ministers, and 26 deputy ministers who participated in the Summit, high-level executives from international organizations, the private sector, and civil society organizations supported the adopted Declaration of Principles and Action Plan. The Summit also made significant contributions to establishing public-private sector partnerships required by the scope and nature of the information society. Some of these partnerships specifically aimed at eliminating the digital divide.

The second phase of the Summit, held in Tunisia in November 2005, was attended by around 19,000 representatives from 175 countries. At the Tunisia Summit, developments achieved within the framework of the Declaration of Principles and Action Plan signed in Geneva were discussed, with a primary focus on Internet governance and the digital solidarity fund—topics that were extensively debated during the Geneva Summit process but could not reach consensus. Our institution closely followed both phases of the Summit, collaborated and coordinated with relevant stakeholders to form national positions for submission to the Summit, and represented our country during the Summits and the preparation process.

The Internet Governance Forum, established under the auspices of the United Nations Secretary-General, is a forum that convenes not only public representatives but also private sector and civil society representatives, with the authority to set policies and regulations related to the Internet as granted by the World Summit on the Information Society.

The forum, which meets once a year, held its first meeting in Athens in 2006. Our institution participated as a participant in all meetings of the forum, which convened in Rio de Janeiro in 2007 and in Hyderabad in 2008. At the 2008 meeting, our institution organized a Best Practice Session titled “Turkey: A Country Transforming into an Information Society.” In the said session,

Mr. Türker Gülüm, a member of the Board of Directors of the Turkish Informatics Association, presented on the role of civil society in our country's transformation into an information society;
Mr. Deniz Tunçalp, Virtual Mobile Operator Business Unit Manager of Turkcell İletişim Hizmetleri A.Ş., presented on security in electronic banking and mobile signature;
Mr. Ahmed Ramazan Altınok, Head of the Prime Ministry e-Government Advisory Group, presented on key e-government projects.

Following the session, discussions were held that provided significant benefits in informing other parties about the work done in the context of our country's transformation into an information society and in sharing views and experiences mutually. At the forum, information and experience exchange was also conducted with participants from different countries on issues such as regulation of Internet content, ensuring cybersecurity, management of critical Internet infrastructure, and combating cybercrime.