Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said at the "International Information Security and Cryptology Conference" held at the Information Technologies and Communication Authority (BTK) in cooperation with the Presidency's Cyber Security Presidency and the Information Security Association, that information is the most valuable treasure of the age, and cyber security software and technologies are the most critical shield protecting this treasure.
Pointing out that the most strategic resource of the new age is data, that is, information, Minister Uraloğlu said, "Data is not just an archived mass, it is the raw material of production, the shield of security, the engine of the economy and the basis of sovereignty. In the age of artificial intelligence, cloud computing, internet of things and high-performance computing, the power of a country is measured by its ability to produce data, keep it on its own territory, process it, protect it and turn it into value. Where this data is hosted, at what standards it is processed and who is under its control is no longer just technological, but also "It is a strategic, economic and national issue, and undoubtedly, countries that establish the sovereignty of data are the winners of tomorrow." he said.
Uraloğlu pointed out that the main theme of this year's conference, "Cyber Wars in the New World Order", accurately reflects the developments taking place on a global scale.
Underlining that cyber resilience and deterrence, platform cyber security, technology wars and cyber espionage in global competition are of critical importance for Turkey and the international community, Uraloğlu said, "With this understanding, we see the data centers we have upgraded by the public and private sectors as Türkiye's new digital castles. TÜRKSAT Data Center, which we laid the foundation for in Ankara Gölbaşı in July, is one of the largest data centers in Türkiye, with a huge area of 35 thousand 300 square meters. We have increased our current capacity in the first phase." "This facility, which will increase to 3 floors and 8 floors in the second phase, will protect critical public data, especially e-Government, with domestic software, at international standards and with the highest level of security. While this giant castle that will carry the critical digital burden of the public is rising, on the other hand, we continue to expand the regional and international capacity with the power of the private sector." he said.
Uraloğlu reminded that Vodafone Izmir Data Center, which was put into service in September, was added as an important link to the chain of digital castles as the largest data center in the Aegean Region, thus expanding Türkiye's digital security map step by step.
Emphasizing that data centers are the guarantee of long-term security of digital assets in terms of cryptology, Uraloğlu said, "Encryption of critical data, key management, access controls, supply chain security and the establishment of infrastructures resistant to future quantum threats are among the most basic functions of data centers. Keeping, processing and protecting data in our own territory is the most concrete expression of our cyber independence and technological sovereignty. Thanks to these projects, Turkey gains a scalable infrastructure to meet the increasing data production, cloud computing and artificial intelligence needs, while becoming a regional digital infrastructure and data center base." It also strengthens its goal.” he said.
Uraloğlu explained that they are continuing their efforts to improve cyber security capacity in Türkiye with determination.
Reminding that within the scope of the National Cyber Security Strategy and Action Plan (2024-2028) prepared under the coordination of the Ministry, they determined 6 strategic goals, 18 targets and 61 actions in the fields of cyber resilience, proactive cyber defense and deterrence, human-oriented approach, safe use of technology, development of domestic and national technologies and international cooperation, Uraloğlu said, "The institutional counterpart of this strategic approach is our Cyber Security Presidency established under the Presidency. This infrastructure, strengthened by the Cyber Security Law, enables national cyber security policies to be implemented from a single source." "The establishment of the Cyber Security Presidency is a concrete manifestation of our country's will to protect its national interests in the cyber world." made his assessment.
Uraloğlu stated that Türkiye's inclusion in the "Level 1: Role Model Country" category by receiving full points in all areas in the 2024 Global Cyber Security Index of the International Telecommunication Union means the registration of the institutional capacity in this field at the international level.
Stating that BTK meticulously continues its regulatory, surveillance and inspection activities in the electronic communications, postal and electronic trust services sectors, Uraloğlu said, "With the Board Decision taken this year, obliging all authorized operators to take additional security measures regardless of their economic size is an important step in terms of increasing the sectoral security level and increasing the cyber resilience of our infrastructures. The most sensitive and priority dimension of our comprehensive cyber security efforts and corporate structuring is undoubtedly the protection of our children, who are the guarantee of our future, in the digital world. The things we need to protect most in the digital world." are our children." he said.
Minister Uraloğlu reminded that the provision of social network services to children under the age of 15 was limited by the regulation prepared by the Cyber Security Presidency and published in the Official Gazette, and emphasized that age verification via e-Government, implementation of special protection measures for the 15-18 age group and making parental control tools mandatory are clear indicators of their determination to protect children from the risks of the digital environment. Underlining that prioritizing the healthy development of children, being with families and ensuring that platforms assume more responsibilities are integral parts of the national security approach, Uraloğlu said:
"In the world of the future, data will be fast, secure and belong to the sovereign. The spread of 5G and 6G technologies, software-based networks and artificial intelligence applications in the future creates new needs in areas such as core network security, supply chain security and strengthening of cryptographic infrastructures. Cyber security is strengthened not only with technology, but also with a human-oriented approach and cooperation between the public, private sector and academia. I believe that this conference will make significant contributions to the evaluation of global cyber threats, further strengthening the security of our critical infrastructures and deepening inter-institutional cooperation." I believe."
