An iftar program was organized under the auspices of the Information Technologies and Communication Authority with sponsorship from Turkcell.
The iftar program was attended by Dr. Ömer Fatih Sayan, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, Ömer Abdullah Karagözoğlu, President of the Information Technologies and Communication Authority, Serhat Demir, Turkcell's Deputy General Manager Responsible for Legal and Regulatory Affairs, numerous guests, and students.
Following the iftar meal, UAB Deputy Minister Dr. Ömer Fatih Sayan delivered a speech. Sayan emphasized the great importance of entrepreneurship in communication technologies. Touching on the studies conducted by BTK, Sayan highlighted the significance of the institution initiating 5G efforts. Reminding that BTK is the center of cybersecurity, Sayan pointed to the success of USOM in responding to cyber incidents.
Offering advice to the youth, Sayan said, “Not producing technology is akin to flying on others' wings. When those wings break, it becomes very easy to fall to the ground. Look, today America and China are fighting over what? America's stance against Huawei stems from its powerful companies like Microsoft and Apple. So, what will we do? To prevent our arms and wings from breaking, we will embrace our domestic and national technologies. We will increase our own productions and strive to bring them to the forefront. Here, both you young people and our operators have a great responsibility. This is necessary for Turkey to stand on its own feet.”
Deputy Minister Sayan: Thanks to ULAK, We Are Not Dependent on Anyone in the Field of Communication
Reminding once again that the ULAK base station was produced entirely with domestic and national capabilities, Sayan stated that this is an indicator that we are not dependent on anyone else in the field of communication. Touching on the importance of the studies conducted regarding 5G technology, Sayan expressed that 5G end-to-end technologies will fundamentally change our lives and pointed to these developments as the reason for America's technological war against Huawei.
Emphasizing the importance of embracing applications such as Dedi, Laff, and Yaani produced with our country's resources, Sayan said, “We cannot allow others to profit from our country's data. We have a goal, and we are working to achieve it. With the words, 'We are advancing with confident steps towards our goal of becoming a country that produces entirely domestic and national products in the 100th year of our Republic,' he concluded his speech.
President Karagözoğlu: We Are Taking Steps to Reduce External Dependency
BTK President Ömer Abdullah Karagözoğlu also spoke about how the world is now shaped by technological changes. Explaining BTK's vision in this field as elevating our country to an effective, competitive, and innovative position on an international scale in the information and communication sector, Karagözoğlu said, “As an institution, we are taking steps to reduce external dependency by supporting our domestic and national producers in terms of our country's future, development, and strengthening a strong structure. Because our gateway to the future is the products we produce with our own capabilities. While benefiting from the blessings of the 21st century, our most important motto is to be a country that produces its own technology and leads the world.”
Drawing attention to the fact that the studies conducted in our country over the last 17 years are quite promising in this regard, Karagözoğlu said, “Significant work has been done in many areas from defense industry to telecommunications, from information technologies to communication. The increase in the number of broadband internet subscribers from 3 thousand to nearly 75 million in 17 years, and the mobile phone subscriber count rising from 23 million to over 80 million, are the most concrete indicators of these efforts.”
President Karagözoğlu: The Only Way to Success is to Work Tirelessly
Congratulating Turkcell for its efforts, Karagözoğlu said, “As an institution, Turkcell's work, which acts in line with the principle often emphasized that 'Turkey's data must stay in Turkey,' and demonstrates the highest level of sensitivity in the issue of data security, which directly concerns Turkey's national security, is commendable. As an institution, we are both close followers and supporters of this successful operator of ours. Undoubtedly, the only way to success is to work relentlessly and without stopping. Of course, we know we are not alone on this path. As an institution that regulates and supervises the sector, alongside BTK, we know we have our successful operators like Turkcell, our stakeholders, and especially young, dynamic people like you who closely follow technology,” he concluded his speech.