BTK President Dr. Ömer Fatih Sayan attended the iftar dinner organized by the Informatics Association. In his speech there, President Sayan drew attention to the importance of information technologies.
President of the Information Technologies and Communication Authority Dr. Ömer Fatih Sayan attended the traditional iftar dinner program, the 9th of which was organized by the Informatics Association this year. President Sayan began his speech with the following wishes: “I greet you all with respect and affection on this happy day when we come together under the umbrella of informatics and feel the spirit of unity and togetherness of Ramadan. I congratulate your blessed Ramadan Sharif, the month in which our holy book, the Quran, which guides all humanity on the right path, was revealed, and I wish to attain its blessings. I pray to Allah that this blessed month brings goodness to our country and nation. On this occasion, I hope we all reach both Laylat al-Qadr and Eid al-Fitr together in health and well-being. On the other hand, I also pray to the Almighty Allah to help our Muslim brothers and sisters in the Islamic geography who are forced to spend these days under oppression.”
Emphasizing that communication technologies have become a dominant factor affecting all sectors, Sayan stated, “In this position, with the increase in advanced technology capacity, production capabilities, and employment environments, it ranks first among the sectors with the widest basin in Turkey. When we look at the numbers in the use of information and communication technologies, we can see the increasing traffic, diversity, and prevalence every day. The increase in artificial intelligence applications, developments in informatics technologies, and technological competition have turned the digital world, which we watched in science fiction movies a few years ago, into today's reality.”
Stating that information and communication technologies, which are developing at a dizzying speed, have led to extremely important changes in economic and social life, Sayan said in his speech, “At the same time, by offering new opportunities and possibilities for individuals and states, it has formed the backbone of the information society and digital economy. Communication between the digitalizing world and devices has increased; with the widespread use of M2M applications, innovations have been provided that facilitate daily life for end users, save time, and increase the welfare level. In industry, which is the most effective way to determine the development levels of countries, with Industry 4.0, many gains such as speed, quality, and performance in production have been achieved, and the use of information and high technology has settled at the center of production like never before. In a world where informatics is so effective and important, as our Institution, we are closely involved with stakeholders in the sector and continue our work intensively to take place in the competition,” he said.
ICT is the Backbone of Digital Economy and Society
Drawing attention to the fact that information and communication technologies are not only a sector on their own but also the main actor in development and growth in other sectors, Sayan shared the following information: In the world, in one minute on the Internet; more than 150 million emails are sent, 4 million videos are watched, 3.5 million searches are made on a single search engine (Google), 350 thousand new tweets are posted, 30 million messages are sent instantly, more than 265 thousand sales are made on the largest e-commerce site (Amazon), hundreds of millions of people are on social media platforms at the same time. These actions done in one minute are steadily increasing every year compared to the previous year. This dizzying speed of development and change also makes it mandatory to establish consultation and cooperation mechanisms among governments, regulators, and international organizations.”
President Sayan stated that as the Information Technologies and Communication Authority, they conduct their work with the awareness of the critical importance of this field. Sayan said, “There is a sentence that our Institution has adopted as its motto in making all kinds of regulations and that I frequently express; Information and Communication Technologies are the backbone of the digital economy and digital society. Without this backbone, we cannot establish healthy interaction between the technologies I mentioned earlier. Especially in the mobile field, without establishing a strong communication infrastructure, it is impossible for us to achieve digital transformation and thus create a digital economy and become an information society. In short; Without a Strong Infrastructure, we cannot reach the goal of a Strong Turkey,” he said.
Emphasizing that in order to keep up with the speed of digital transformation, it is first necessary to have a strong technical infrastructure, Sayan said, “Our government has developed broadband strategies and we continue our work in line with the 2023 targets disciplined by our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. I thank all of you, the sector representatives who walk with us on this path, who contribute with their hands and efforts to the work done, and who provide intellectual support. I believe that these efforts will illuminate the coming years and open the way for this country.”
Also emphasizing that changing and transforming information technologies make our lives easier, Sayan said, “I want to remind you that this also brings some risks. Therefore, I insistently underline how important cyber security is at this point for our country. We will continue our efforts without stopping for our country's cyber security to be at the highest level and for a communication sector equipped with high-standard technology. At this point, I know that we owe a heartfelt great debt of gratitude to our families and ladies who support our work with patience, and I offer my gratitude. On this occasion, I once again congratulate your Ramadan and in advance your Laylat al-Qadr, and with Allah's permission, I wish to reach Eid in health.” With these words, he concluded his speech.