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The amount of investment Google Cloud will make in Türkiye as part of the recently announced deal with Turkcell was disclosed as $2 billion (TL 84 billion) on Thursday.
Addressing the “Google Cloud Day Türkiye,” Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz said the investment, together with $1 billion planned by Turkcell, will reach $3 billion, lauding its significance.
“While Turkcell plans to invest $1 billion within the scope of the project, the fact that Google Cloud will invest $2 billion is also gratifying for our country. Thus, we are talking about a total investment of $3 billion. This is indeed a significant figure and it will trigger other investments as well,” Yılmaz told the event in Istanbul.
Last week, Turkcell announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with Google to provide Google Cloud services in Türkiye. As part of the collaboration, Turkcell will work with Google Cloud to provide the infrastructure needed for a planned Google Cloud region in the country.
Speaking at the event, the vice president stated that the hyper-scale cloud region to be implemented in cooperation with Google Cloud and Turkcell is an important and strategic step that will further strengthen Türkiye’s regional position in data, cloud infrastructure and artificial intelligence.
He pointed out that artificial intelligence has gained significant momentum, especially in recent years, in terms of investment volume and infrastructure scale, and said that global venture capital investments directed at AI initiatives in 2024 increased by approximately 52% compared to the previous year, reaching $131.5 billion.
Furthermore, he explained that they shape and update their policies in the field of artificial intelligence in line with current global developments, recalling the work done in relation to the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy.
National AI strategy
“In the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy Steering Committee, which I chair, we follow the policies and measures included in the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy and action plans covering the 2021-2025 period. We strengthen coordination between public institutions, the private sector and the academic world,” he said
“Recently, artificial intelligence technologies, especially in generative AI, large language models, data sovereignty and regulatory frameworks, are developing rapidly, and since the current National Artificial Intelligence Strategy period is coming to an end, we are continuing our work on Türkiye’s new action plan,” he added.
“In the action plan we will implement, the main headings will be developing human resources, supporting generative AI and Turkish large language models, strengthening high-performance computing and data infrastructures, deepening the R&D and entrepreneurship ecosystem, increasing international collaborations and shaping national legislation compatible with international norms in the field of artificial intelligence.”
Yılmaz also stated that cloud computing, data and artificial intelligence are no longer separate technologies but have become parts of an integrated technology, explaining that decision-making processes in almost every field are now largely data-driven.
In this context, he emphasized that data centers ensure the secure processing and storage of data and have become critical infrastructures enabling fast and uninterrupted access to data.
“For a country to be able to process its data through its own data centers and cloud infrastructure, strengthening its data sovereignty directly affects its ability to attract international investment, its potential to become a regional digital hub, and the development of the domestic artificial intelligence ecosystem. At this point, we are supporting the attraction of data centers and their investments to our country,” he remarked.
Yılmaz highlighted that as the boundaries of the digital world expand, threats are becoming smarter, more complex and more targeted, pointing out that this new wave of threats in cyberspace directly affects not only data security but also economic stability, competitiveness and national sovereignty.
He also conveyed expectations for the Cyber Security Directorate, established in this context, to be organized in a much stronger manner in the coming period.
‘Crucial step’
Moreover, the vice president noted that the flexibility and scalability offered by cloud technologies have the potential to standardize and disseminate security approaches across a wide range of areas, from identity authentication to threat management. He underlined that in this context, the determined construction of a secure cloud ecosystem is of great importance to increase cyber resilience and institutionalize digital trust with digitalization.
“In such an environment, the strategic partnership established between Turkcell and Google Cloud is a crucial and critical step that strengthens Türkiye’s digital sovereignty and regional position. This investment also reflects the confidence of international investors in the strength, resilience and innovative capacity of our economy,” he said.
“The hyper-scale cloud region, which will be implemented in our country in 2028-2029 and will be fully compliant with Türkiye’s regulations, will provide high accessibility, low latency and strong cyber resilience. With this move, Türkiye and Turkcell will strengthen their digital bridge role between Europe, Asia and the Middle East, and contribute to our country’s elevation to the position of the region’s data hub,” he suggested.
