Türk Telekom CEO Ebubekir Şahin in New York: COP31, the Argela–SRI partnership and a Türkiye that produces technology

COP31: the “Master Partner” role

Türkiye is hosting COP31 for the first time, in Antalya in November, and Türk Telekom has a key role in the event. How do you see this responsibility?

As Türk Telekom, we place sustainability at the centre of our business strategy, and while leading our country's digital transformation we also act as a strong part of the green transformation. We regard the responsibility we have taken on as “Master Partner” and “Global Digital Transformation and Technology Partner” of COP31, which Türkiye will host for the first time, as extremely valuable.

In line with our “Yarına Sözümüz Var” (“We Have a Promise to Tomorrow”) approach, we see digital transformation and sustainable transformation as two complementary elements of the same future.

The Argela–SRI International partnership

Your group company Argela and Silicon Valley-based SRI International have signed a partnership agreement on next-generation communication technologies. What does it mean for Türk Telekom?

As Türk Telekom, while shaping Türkiye's digital future with our strong infrastructure, technological know-how, R&D investments and engineering power, we also care about bringing the capabilities we develop in our country to the world.

The engineering strength of our group company Argela is an important part of this vision. Through this partnership with SRI, we are bringing the engineering expertise built up in Türkiye together with Silicon Valley's long-established research ecosystem.

Under the agreement, Stanford University and Netsia will also contribute, and a new laboratory is planned in Türkiye. What concrete benefit will this partnership bring to Türkiye?

We aim to turn the experience we gain in this project, whose testing and development will be carried out in Türkiye, into concrete value in the new technologies we will produce with our national R&D strength. We believe that the growth of technologies produced in Türkiye through global partnerships will take our country's R&D power even further.

A Türkiye that produces technology

Taking your investment and climate meetings in New York together with your work in Silicon Valley, how would you sum up Türk Telekom's vision for the period ahead?

Our technology work in the US is not limited to international partnerships; we attach importance to bringing the engineering capabilities developed in Türkiye together with the global research ecosystem.

We continue our work with the goal of making Türkiye a country that does not only use technology but produces it, develops it and takes it to the world.