Upcoming Trade Shows in Turkey for IT & Technology

Turkey has made big leaps in developing its IT & technology industry; the telecommunications industry, in particular, is poised for significant growth as the country prepares to transition from 4G to 5G technology. The telecom market in Turkey, while highly developed, continues to experience strong demand for high-speed data services, especially in the mobile sector. With nearly all of the country’s 97.6 million mobile phone users owning smartphones, the demand for faster and more reliable networks is growing exponentially. 4.5G (LTE) technology, which was introduced in 2016, has seen rapid adoption, with 81 million subscribers accounting for 92% of the data market by 2020. This transition to 4.5G has spurred growth in e-commerce, mobile broadband, mobile banking, and mobile television services. As the industry moves towards 5G, new technology investments are set to further accelerate sector expansion. The three major mobile operators in Turkey—Turkcell (41.3% market share), Vodafone (30.8%), and Turk Telekom/TT Mobil (27.9%)—are investing heavily in upgrading their infrastructure to accommodate 5G services. These companies have partnered with global providers like Nokia, Ericsson, and Huawei to bring advanced networks to the Turkish market. However, despite the government’s initial goal of being an early adopter of 5G, plans have faced delays. 5G operations are now expected to begin towards the end of 2023, with major cities like Istanbul, Izmir, Ankara, and Antalya slated to be the first to receive the new technology. One of the key priorities for Turkey’s 5G rollout is localization, with the government emphasising domestic production and technology in tenders for 5G projects. This focus on localization is expected to bolster the IT & technology industry, as Turkey aims to become a regional hub for 5G technology. In 2019, the Turkish government allocated $5 billion to the development of 5G networks.