Turkey's electronic comm. sector hits $12.2B in 2018

By Gokhan Yildiz

ISTANBUL (AA) - The turnover of Turkey's electronic communications sector reached 59 billion Turkish liras (around $12.2 billion) in 2018, according to the Turkish Competitive Telco Operators Association (Telcoder) on Wednesday.

"The turnover of the sector was 14 billion Turkish liras [around $9.3 billion] in 2003. Our sector is growing, [even] if we take inflation into account," Yusuf Ata Ariak, head of Telcoder, told in a news conference.

Ariak noted that telecommunication giants Turk Telekom, Turkcell and Vodafone grabbed a 91% share of the sector while the rest was controlled by alternative operators who are members of Telcoder.

Underlining that the world's heaviest tax burdens were exacted on telecommunications, Ariak said half of the sector's bills consisted of taxes.

"High taxes are one of the biggest obstacles to the growth of the sector," he said.

Ariak stressed the importance of data centers and the prevention of data escaping overseas, noting that most of Turkey's data is kept abroad.

Wholesale internet prices should be kept at low levels in order to allow firms to provide consumers with cheap prices and freedom of choice, he added.

*Writing by Jeyhun Aliyev