Turkey eyes global actor role in smart cities market

Turkey will enter the industry, worth billions of dollars, as an exporter, Turkish President Erdogan said at the Smart Cities and Municipalities Congress and Exhibit in Ankara.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks at the opening ceremony of the Smart Cities and Municipalities Congress and Exhibition in Ankara, Turkey on January 15, 2020.
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks at the opening ceremony of the Smart Cities and Municipalities Congress and Exhibition in Ankara, Turkey on January 15, 2020.

Turkey's President  Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday vowed to take steps to become a global actor in the smart cities market.

“We are determined to do whatever it takes to be a major actor in the smart cities market, which is expected to top $800 billion market value in a couple of years,” Erdogan told the Smart Cities and Municipalities Congress and Exhibit in the capital, Ankara.

The president said Turkey aims to enter the global market as an exporter, besides supplying market need in the form of smart city applications.

Smart cities, which is a new approach to urban planning to connect everything using technologies, improve city services, infrastructure and ultimately residents’ quality of life.

“Turkey is among the leading countries in terms of smart cities,” he said, highlighting the country’s support for smart city plans.

He also said that Turkey already made great progress in building eco-friendly cities.

Smart cities should be compatible with each other, Erdogan said and underscored the importance of citizen’s support.

“The more we increase quality of life with smart cities, the more they protect and support it,” he added.

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