Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu announced that the tender process for 5G has begun, with the first signal expected in 2026. Uraloğlu also indicated that the social media regulation for under 16s would be implemented this year.

Speaking at the Turkey Century Summit in Transportation and Infrastructure, Minister Uraloğlu discussed recent efforts and future projects in the sector. Emphasizing that approximately 290 billion dollars worth of investments have been made in transportation and infrastructure in the last 23 years, he stated, “We have undertaken and continue to pursue very important projects ranging from divided highways to expanding airports, from high-speed rail networks to maritime initiatives.”

“STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF DEVELOPMENT ROAD PROJECT”

Highlighting the significance of the Development Road Project in boosting trade volume, Minister Uraloğlu stated, “This project will strengthen Turkey’s strategy to become a trade corridor. We started with Iraq, and now Qatar and the UAE have joined. The project has been completed in all its aspects, and now we are working on financing and management models.”

“INITIATED THE 5G TENDER PROCESS”

Regarding the progress on 5G, Minister Uraloğlu said, “We are discussing whether it will be 5G or 5.5G, but we have initiated the tender process. We aim to receive a signal that will begin to spread largely in 2026 by holding the auction this year. Our goal in waiting for this is to enhance its domestic nature and procure the equipment from abroad at a more accurate price.” Uraloğlu also mentioned that they had recently issued 5G trial licenses at 34 locations, adding 2 more places to bring the total to 36, and explained that the 5G technology would provide a 10-fold speed increase in practice. “We have become one of 11 satellite manufacturers in the world and we did it, Turkish engineers did it. We started marketing efforts to produce and sell satellites not only for our country but also for the whole world,” he stated.

“RAIL SYSTEM NETWORK IN ISTANBUL TO REACH 1,0004 KILOMETRES”

Addressing Istanbul’s transportation issues, Minister Uraloğlu said, “Istanbul needs a total of 1,004 kilometers of rail system. We are currently at 380 kilometers and at least 600 more kilometers need to be added.” He emphasized that rail systems were essential for solving transportation problems in the city and stated, “There are no projects waiting at the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality in the Ministry of Transportation. Approved projects should be implemented as soon as possible.”

“EXPANDING FIBER INFRASTRUCTURE TO 800,000 KILOMETERS”

Minister Uraloğlu noted that efforts to improve the fiber infrastructure in Turkey were continuing without pause, aiming to increase the current 580,000 kilometers of fiber infrastructure to 800,000 kilometers. He also announced a new regulation for social media platforms aimed at protecting young people and children, stating, “While the average daily time spent on the internet worldwide is around 6.5 hours, in Turkey it is approximately 7 hours. We will implement the regulations on social media usage for under 16s this year.” Mentioning that “79.4% of families believe the age limit of 16 is correct, we have reached a general consensus,” Uraloğlu indicated that the regulation would soon be enacted into law.