Authorization certificates were delivered by BTK to 6 companies operating in the electronic communications and postal sectors.
The Information Technologies and Communication Authority presented "Authorization Certificates" to 5 companies in the electronic communications sector and 1 in the postal sector. The ceremony was attended by BTK President Ömer Abdullah Karagözoğlu, Authorization Department Head Beytullah Kuşçu, sector representatives, and the companies receiving the certificates.
In his speech at the authorization certificate delivery ceremony, Information Technologies and Communication Authority President Ömer Abdullah Karagözoğlu noted that the electronic communications sector has permeated every aspect of people's daily lives, stating, “It is an undeniable reality that this sector has become a driving force for economic efficiency in other sectors as well. In an era where not only people but all objects are evolving towards connecting to the internet, having a strong electronic communications infrastructure, ensuring that all citizens can benefit from communication technologies and infrastructures enabling internet access at reasonable prices, and for critical public services such as emergency calls, free of charge, is gaining more importance every day. Another sector that is gaining increasing importance, triggered by the development of electronic communications technologies and the increase in e-commerce volume, is the postal sector. As a labor-intensive sector alongside technology, the postal sector also provides significant employment, and the primary goal here, similar to electronic communications, is to provide faster services,” he said.
Emphasizing that one of the primary goals of the Information Technologies and Communication Authority is for all citizens to receive quality services at reasonable prices, Karagözoğlu listed the issues they prioritized for the rapid implementation of consumer-oriented regulations as follows: “Taking the necessary measures to protect consumers' and users' rights and interests to ensure they derive maximum benefit from services, providing the necessary conditions for effective and sustainable competition, taking measures to prevent, eliminate, or remedy practices that hinder, distort, or restrict competition, and establishing a transparent regulatory framework that encourages innovation, targets R&D activities in the sector, and develops domestic and national production.”
Drawing attention to the transformation from labor-intensive sectors to sectors heavily utilizing information technologies and communications due to technological advancements, Karagözoğlu stated in his speech, “As of today, there are 448 operators in the electronic communications sector and 34 service providers in the postal sector in Turkey that have received authorization certificates from our Institution and are providing services. In the electronic communications sector, the number of authorizations held by 448 operators for various services is 797. Approximately 65,000 people are employed in our sector, and the postal sector is a significant source of employment in our country. Revenues in the electronic communications sector exceeded 50 billion TL in 2017. Revenues from postal services, as of the end of 2017, exceeded 10 billion TL including cargo transportation in the total turnover of the postal sector. Although the electronic communications and postal sectors appear as two different sectors, especially with the development of e-commerce, they have become inseparable parts of each other,” he provided this information.
Noting that many transactions are now conducted over electronic communications infrastructures, Karagözoğlu said, “According to various statistical data and research results, we all observe the increases in smartphone, computer, tablet, and internet usage in Turkey. Along with this increase, internet users' shopping habits have begun to shift towards online platforms. Especially the online shopping trend that started with the new generation has played a major role in the development of Turkey's e-commerce market. Widespread internet usage has made the internet sector quite important in our daily lives; however, especially in online shopping, we need to be very careful to prevent fraud cases that could victimize our citizens. We all know that fraud cases through fake websites and stolen credit card information reduce trust in e-commerce,” he stated.
Expressing that making applications like 3D Secure and two-factor authentication mandatory has made significant contributions to the development of e-commerce, Karagözoğlu said, “Companies like THY are now conducting 50% of their sales online. When looking at the economic volume in this area, we can say that the figures show serious growth. Negative experiences have led our companies and institutions to take many precautions. Operational teams have been established in our public institutions for specific field efforts to combat online fraud cases. Operators also have important responsibilities in this regard. We know that the measures taken by our operators, especially against fraudulent usage, prevent many fraud cases. Particularly in internet access services and services like bulk messaging, our operators need to be very sensitive, establish their contracts with subscribers in accordance with legal regulations, and this sensitivity plays an important role in preventing malicious uses,” he concluded his speech.
Following short presentations where the companies introduced themselves, the authorization certificates were delivered to their owners.