Digital Turkey Platform: Connectivity, Cyber Security and Artificial Intelligence Critical for Digital Turkey

Digital Turkey Platform (DTP) shared Europe's digital transformation approach and the "Turkey on the Road to Digitalization" report prepared with PwC Turkey with the business world, universities, NGOs and public institutions on 30 January 2019. Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl, Director General of DIGITALEUROPE, of which Digital Turkey Platform is a member, attended the meeting in Istanbul as a speaker.

The "digital transformation", which is in constant development, brings many unknowns such as new business areas, new ways of doing business, changing lifestyles, education methods and security issues to the agenda. This transformation, which will significantly change all institutions and processes, is expected to create enormous opportunities for society as well as economies.

Established in 2011 in cooperation with TBV, TÜBİSAD and TESİD, the Digital Turkey Platform (DTP) continues its efforts to represent the strong common voice of the information technologies, communication and electronics sectors, which have a strategic importance in the growth of the Turkish economy. Aiming to contribute to the solution of the sector's problems and healthy development, DTP creates policy recommendations that will enable Turkey to realize a holistic digital transformation that encompasses citizens, the state and the business world. At the same time, as a member of Digital Europe, the representative of the European digital technology industry, DTP closely follows the European Union Digital Agenda. With the "Turkey on the Road to Digitalization" report, DTP draws attention to the importance of "connectivity", "cyber security" and "artificial intelligence", which are the common denominator of "citizen", "state" and "business world", the most important elements of digital transformation.

Artificial intelligence will drastically change industries

Stating that Turkey is recognized as an important European country by world-leading companies and innovators, Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl, Director General of Digital Europe, said: "We work closely with our members in Turkey to share policy expertise and be a bridge between the government and the EU. In this way, we believe that innovation and trade will develop strongly. Technology, especially new areas such as artificial intelligence, which has gained so much importance in recent years, will drastically change all businesses and industries. We are working with governments and industries to ensure that all potential and opportunities are translated into new jobs, capabilities and solutions to improve production, education and healthcare."

Digitalization will bring countless benefits and opportunities

Faruk Eczacıbaşı, President of DTP and TBV, stated that they were pleased to welcome Digital Europe, which actively lobbies the European Parliament and Commissions on digital strategies and policies, in Turkey and to listen to their work. "We believe that economic growth can be achieved through safe, healthy and higher value-added jobs and that digitalization will bring countless benefits and opportunities to the country's citizens and industries for a stronger Turkey. With the Digital Turkey Platform's 'Turkey on the Road to Digitalization' study, we wanted to draw attention to the importance of seizing the opportunity of digital transformation with a dedicated and serial planning in the rise of Turkey's welfare level."

The most important factor that will carry Turkey to 2023 and beyond will be digitalization with domestic capabilities

"Digital Transformation comes with technologically disruptive developments and potentials such as the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and data-driven economy." said C. Müjdat Altay, Chairman of the Board of Directors of TESİD: "The most important factor that will carry Turkey to 2023 and beyond will be digitalization with our domestic capabilities. The way to success in this area is for all segments of society to be part of the digital transformation, in other words, individuals and institutions with high digital skills. The sooner we strengthen our broadband infrastructure in this process, the faster it will be for our country to rank high in the world league. On the other hand, 'Cyber Security' is one of the issues to be focused on in order to cope with cybercrimes, which cost an average of €265 billion per year in Europe alone. We believe that the 'Turkey on the Road to Digitalization Report', which is an important source in terms of showing Turkey's position in the digitalization process in the world and its roadmap for the future, will be an important guide to the digitalization efforts that need to be carried out in our country."

Create a digital competencies plan that includes all segments of society

"The three main building blocks of the digital economy are digital data, artificial intelligence, autonomous robots, big data, augmented and virtual reality, digital technologies such as the Internet of Things and digital infrastructure," said Erman Karaca, Chairman of TÜBİSAD:

"Digital data has become the basis of new business models in many traditional sectors, paving the way for new sectors and creating a data economy. As Turkey, we cannot lag behind this process, and it is important that this awareness is strengthened in both the public and private sectors and implemented with rapid steps. We need to create Turkey's "Digital Economy Transformation Strategy" and determine road maps by addressing the economic values that will accelerate digitalization. While the whole world is going through a digital economy transformation, it is critical to make moves that will contribute to Turkey remaining competitive and becoming a high-tech exporting country. To achieve this, we need to create a digital competencies plan that includes all segments of society, unlock the potential of artificial intelligence and the data economy, encourage and facilitate e-Services, accelerate connections, and strengthen infrastructures and cyber security."