COUNTRY FOCUS : TURKEY
Turkey ’ s ICT market remains challenged with complex taxation , high inflation , currency exchange rate , energy process but offers the opportunity for investment into 5G , e-commerce , start-up ecosystem , cloud and IoT platforms .
5G , digital economy d ICT despite challenge
Istanbul , Turkey
Similar to many emerging and developing countries , Turkey is a market that is both promising and sometimes difficult and complex . Due to the country ' s digital services tax , local content requirements , and social media platform limitations , it becomes complex for foreign businesses to operate in Turkey .
Legal approvals are slow and require significant paperwork , inflation is rampant and in double digit figures , energy prices are soaring , and government policies could be more investor friendly . Nevertheless , upcoming large-scale projects , the GoT ' s strategic plan , and national 5G ambitions provide possibilities to do business . The government has formed the New Generation Mobile Communication Technology forum , which comprises universities , operators , NGOs , and manufacturers , to meet the 5G requirements throughout the nation .
ICT industry
According to US based , International Trade Administration , Turkey ’ s ICT market totalled $ 26.9 billion in 2020 , with $ 17 billion spent on communication technologies and $ 9.9 billion on information technologies . The sector employs approximately 158,000 people . Turkey exported $ 1.3 billion in related products and services in 2019 , and this figure is expected to grow .
IT hardware spending has been declining due to the cannibalization of tablet sales by smartphones . Software and services spending proved more
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