E-signature expands to Europe

Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu made a statement regarding the cooperation process initiated between Türkiye and the EU for the mutual recognition of electronic signatures and electronic seals. Minister Uraloğlu stated that the meeting, where Turkey was represented by the Ministry of Commerce as the coordinator and the Information Technologies and Communication Authority (BTK) as the executing institution, was held on 9 November 2026 in Chisinau, the capital of Moldova.

Stating that a Declaration of Intent was exchanged with the European Commission within the scope of the meeting, Uraloğlu said, "We have taken an important step towards the mutual recognition of electronic signatures between Turkey and the European Union. With this cooperation, we aim to develop digital trade between our countries and facilitate cross-border transactions."

IT WILL PAVE THE WAY FOR E-SIGNATURES TO BE RECOGNIZED IN THE EUROPEAN UNION COUNTRIES.

Stating that the mutual recognition of electronic signatures will strengthen the digital integration between Türkiye and the EU, Minister Uraloğlu said, "With the completion of the process, the way will be paved for the recognition of qualified electronic signatures and seals used in Turkey in European Union countries."

Uraloğlu stated that mutual recognition of electronic signatures and electronic seals will provide significant convenience, especially in international trade. Stating that Turkish companies' participation in the EU's digital trade systems will be supported, Uraloğlu noted that cross-border transactions will be facilitated in areas such as remote participation in public tenders, tracking transactions in the digital environment, insurance and trade financing.

Türkiye'S INITIATIVE HAS BEEN PLACED ON THE JOINT WORKING AGENDA WITH THE EU

Stating that studies on mutual recognition of electronic signatures between Türkiye and the EU have been on the agenda before, Minister Uraloğlu pointed to the High Level Trade Dialogue Meeting held in Brussels on October 13, 2026.

Uraloğlu stated that in the Joint Declaration published after the said meeting, the initiation of technical studies for the mutual recognition of electronic signatures was included in the common agenda and that the European Commission welcomed Turkey's initiative.

Stating that the European Commission is open to evaluating cooperation options to financially support the process through mechanisms such as the EU4Digital III Regional Program, Uraloğlu stated that the studies will be continued in coordination with the relevant institutions.

THE FIRST TECHNICAL MEETING WILL BE HELD IN NOVEMBER

Minister Uraloğlu stated that the legal, administrative and technical aspects of the mutual recognition process will be discussed and that a National Working Group will be formed with the participation of relevant institutions and organizations in Turkey.

Stating that technical negotiations with the European Commission will also begin, Uraloğlu said, "We will hold our first technical meeting with the European Commission in November."

Uraloğlu stated that the scope of the mutual recognition process, the method to be followed and technical work areas will be evaluated at the meeting, and noted that efforts to strengthen the digital dimension of economic and commercial relations between Türkiye and the EU will continue.