Türkiye Ambassador to Lefkoşa Ali Murat Başçeri said in his speech at the meeting, 'There are exceptional relations between Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The welfare of the Turks on the island and the prosperity and development of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in every field is a priority goal for Turkey.'
'As a reflection of this goal, Türk Telekom has fulfilled its duties to date and will continue to do so. In today's world, where technological developments are moving at full speed, Türk Telekom's submarine fiber optic cables have been digitally connecting the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus to the world since the mid-1990s.'
'Today, Türk Telekom has undertaken the task of renewing the telecommunications infrastructure in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which has fallen behind current technology. We expect the obstacles to the entry into force of the protocol signed between our countries to be removed as soon as possible. I am confident that when this environment is provided, Türk Telekom will successfully carry out this task.'
'It is also important that Türk Telekom chose the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus for such an important meeting where its strategic roadmap was discussed. The contribution Türk Telekom will make to the steps to turn the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, an island of universities, into an information island is of strategic importance,' he said.
Türk Telekom CEO Ebubekir Şahin said, 'As Türk Telekom, we work for Turkey's independent digital future and serve our country's technological and economic development with the new technologies we bring to our country and our end-to-end services. As Türk Telekom, we do not limit our vision to this.'
'We make it our duty to spread the opportunities of the digital age to all regional geographies, especially our country, and to make Turkey a regional technology center. As Türk Telekom, we are extremely willing and determined to serve the digital transformation and technological development of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.'
'We work for the digital independence of our country in every area, from the fiber transformation of the TRNC to domestic device production. We will put all our technological expertise at the service of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, from fiber infrastructure to 5G, data centers to cloud technologies, and artificial intelligence-supported digital solutions.'
'Our goal is not just to establish a strong communication infrastructure; it is to turn the Digital Island vision of Northern Cyprus into reality by accelerating digitalization in every area, from health to education, public services to finance.' Türk Telekom, the pioneer of Turkey's digital transformation, held the '2026 Strategic Roadmap Evaluation Meeting' in the TRNC to evaluate its targets for the second half of 2026 and strategic priorities.
The meeting, which started with the participation of Türkiye Ambassador to Lefkoşa Ali Murat Başçeri and will continue tomorrow, evaluates the first half of the year while discussing strategic priorities for the upcoming period and the company's roadmap.
Türk Telekom CEO Ebubekir Şahin said, 'As you know, with the agreement signed last year between the Republic of Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Türk Telekom was entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring the digital transformation of Northern Cyprus and connecting 150,000 homes on the island with high-speed fiber internet. We have planned an investment exceeding $100 million for the fiber transformation of Northern Cyprus.'
'From the very beginning, we carried out our project preparation work in harmony with the TRNC ministries and authorized authorities. We determined our roadmap and timeline to work in full coordination with the operators serving on the island and all stakeholders in this field. We have completed all our preparations, including the company incorporations required for the official procedure,' he said.
Shahin stated, 'As Türk Telekom, we have taken on a historic responsibility. We work for Turkey's independent digital future and serve our country's technological and economic development.' While conveying his goals for global expansion and becoming a regional power, Shahin said, 'We will increase the scope and number of our next-generation solutions and international collaborations.'
'We will strengthen our position as a technology exporter to the world by diversifying our active revenue sources. We will accelerate our international operations and increase our role as the region's technology carrier,' he said.
'WE ARE MAKING PREPARATIONS TO OFFER OUR DOMESTIC AND NATIONAL SMARTPHONE' Touching on the importance of domestic and national technology, Shahin reminded that they are preparing to offer a domestic and national smartphone, stating, 'With the vision of the national technology move, domestic technologies we will develop with our own engineers and infrastructure will also contribute to our country's global competitiveness.'
'Domesticity and nationalism are not just rhetoric for us. We do not leave our domestic and national focus empty; we put it into practice. With our own products and our support for domestic initiatives and technologies, we always seek to contribute to our country. As you know, we are making preparations to offer our first domestic and national smartphone. We will soon offer this product, which is very ambitious in terms of price-to-performance, to the service of all of Turkey.'
'In other words, we are again at the forefront of every project that will reduce foreign dependency in technology,' he said.
