Dr. Ömer Fatih Sayan, President of the Information Technologies and Communications Authority, represented our country at the International Telecommunication Union meeting held in Geneva. Sayan announced that Turkey is a candidate for council membership for the 2018-2022 period.
Within the framework of the authority and responsibilities granted to it between the two ordinary Plenipotentiary Conferences of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the Council's meeting this year, which serves as the Union's most important decision-making body, is being held in Geneva from April 17-27, 2018. At the meeting, reports of the Council Working Groups are evaluated, relevant Council Resolution Decisions are reviewed, discussions are held on matters related to the implementation of decisions taken at ITU conferences, operational plans for the 2019-2022 period of the Union are approved, and issues to be submitted to the Plenipotentiary Conference are addressed.
Our country is among the 8 members representing the Western Europe Region in the council consisting of 48 members, which make up 25% of ITU member countries. As a member of the ITU since its establishment, our country was first elected as an ITU Council member from the European Region (Region B) at the Plenipotentiary Conference held in Marrakesh in 2002. It has continued to have a say in the management of the ITU for 4 consecutive terms by being elected to council membership at the Plenipotentiary Conferences held in 2006, 2010, and 2014. Our country is also a candidate to become a Council Member again for the 2018-2022 period in the elections to be held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from October 29 to November 16, 2018.
At the 2018 ITU Council meeting, Turkey is represented by a delegation headed by BTK President Dr. Ömer Fatih Sayan, which also includes officials from the Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications.
On April 23, 2018, Council President Dr. Sayan and his delegation held bilateral meetings with ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao, Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) Brahima Sanou, and the Ugandan Minister of Information and Communications Technology. The meetings addressed current agenda items, strategies for ITU elections, and our country's council membership candidacy. In the meetings with the ITU management, emphasis was placed on the support our country has provided to the ITU to date, and it was underscored that all kinds of cooperation will continue in the future.
On April 24, 2018, during the General Assembly session of the Council meeting, our country hosted a coffee break for participants to announce our candidacy and seek support. In this context, addressing the General Assembly, Council President Dr. Ömer Fatih Sayan spoke about Turkey's contributions to the ITU's work—as a founding member and Council member since 2002—and the importance of the Union's activities. Sayan announced that our country is a candidate for council membership for the 2018-2022 period and requested support.
During the ITU Council meeting, bilateral meetings were held with numerous council-participating country officials, including ITU Secretary-General, BDT Director, as well as ITU Deputy Secretary-General Malcolm Johnson, Telecommunication Standardization Bureau (TSB) Director Chaesub Lee, and Radiocommunication Bureau (BR) Director Francois Rancy, primarily from Cuba, Kenya, Uruguay, Philippines, Burkina Faso, Thailand, Korea, Japan, Russia, Azerbaijan, Germany, UK, Bahamas, Zimbabwe, Mali, Ukraine, and others. These meetings particularly addressed strategies for the elections and support for our country's candidacy.
The 2018 ITU Council meeting will conclude on April 27, 2018.