The 14th International Electronic Communications Regulators Conference has begun, hosted by the Information Technologies and Communication Authority.
The conference was attended by Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Dr. Ömer Fatih Sayan, AK Party Information and Communication Technologies President Dr. Ömer İleri, Information Technologies and Communication Authority President Ömer Abdullah Karagözoğlu, as well as many prominent figures from the communications sector and representatives from various countries.
In his opening speech at the conference, Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Dr. Ömer Fatih Sayan touched upon the current state of the communications sector, stating, “We see that the roles of regulators have undergone significant changes with the rapid convergence of technologies and the emergence of entirely new types of services and service providers. Even more importantly, our sector has gone far beyond the field of 'communications' and has become a strategic sector that serves as the address for efficiency and productivity for all other sectors and a lead actor in national growth.”
Deputy Minister Sayan, noting that with digitalization, the differentiation of services and the entry of new players into the sector are gradually eliminating boundaries both geographically and between services, emphasized that different approaches are necessary in areas such as competition and consumer protection, and that many new issues have emerged, including ensuring online privacy and security, cyber threats, regulation of digital platforms, network resilience, and environmental sustainability.
Drawing attention to the rapid increase in data usage today and how this situation has made issues such as data protection, privacy, and cybersecurity increasingly important, Sayan said, “In Turkey, the National Cyber Incident Response Center (USOM) and Cyber Incident Response Teams (SOME) under the Information Technologies and Communication Authority work 24/7 uninterruptedly to combat all these threats, ensure data security, and raise awareness among individuals, institutions, and organizations. USOM conducts its activities under four main headings: cyber capacity building, technological measures, threat intelligence, and protection of critical infrastructure. In this ecosystem, ensuring cybersecurity and data privacy is of great importance in increasing trust in digital services.”
Stating that rapid development is also taking place in the field of electronic communications in Turkey, Deputy Minister Sayan said, “In 2022, investments of approximately 22.3 billion TRY were made by our operators providing services in our sector, namely TT Mobil, Turkcell, Türk Telekom, and Vodafone, and approximately 8.8 billion TRY by our other operators. As of the end of 2022 in Turkey, the market size of the Information and Communication Technologies sector reached 24.7 billion USD (408.9 billion TL), and the number of people employed in the sector reached 213 thousand. Our country's exports related to the sector amounted to 1.7 billion USD.”
Expressing that Turkey's digitalization journey is continuing rapidly, Sayan concluded his speech by saying, “On the 100th anniversary of our Republic, we see that our country is at a very important turning point. Our country is achieving significant developments economically, socially, and culturally. On the 100th anniversary of our Republic, we all have great duties to ensure our country's further development and progress. To fulfill these duties, we must preserve our unity and togetherness and maintain our faith and trust in our country.”
Information Technologies and Communication Authority President Ömer Abdullah Karagözoğlu also delivered a speech at the conference.
President Karagözoğlu said, “Today, as we gather at the intersection of tradition and innovation, we find ourselves on the threshold of a transformative era in the telecommunications sector. Over the next two days, we will embark on a journey to explore the changing and evolving landscape of regulations in the electronic communications sector alongside the new technologies rapidly entering our lives. I believe that in addition to being a platform for dialogue and knowledge exchange, this conference will also reflect our joint efforts to shape the future of our sector, which touches every aspect of our modern lives.”
Stating that developments in technology are leading to major changes in daily life, Karagözoğlu said, “The electronic communications sector, which is marked by the global spread of technology, has transformed our lives with new technology devices and services, primarily the internet, and continues to do so. It has become not just a means of communication, but a strategic sector that forms the backbone of the information society and creates significant commercial and economic value. In today's world where data and information are likened to 'oil,' the role of electronic communications in economic development cannot be ignored. Technological developments in this sector have come to significantly influence global services and the world economy. Our common goal is to strengthen and grow an ecosystem that illuminates the path of the sector, establishes an effective and sustainable competitive environment, protects consumer rights and interests, and ensures that everyone has access to services under reasonable conditions.”
Karagözoğlu concluded his speech by saying, “The evaluations, experiences, plans, and expectations to be shared during this event, as well as the connections to be established and ideas to be put forward, will undoubtedly be very valuable to us and will shape our regulatory perspective. I hope that the presentations, discussions, and dialogues to be held throughout the conference will be beneficial for all participants.”
Following the opening speeches, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Information Technologies and Communication Authority and Portugal's National Communications Authority ANACOM.