With its 2026–2030 Artificial Intelligence Action Plan, Türkiye aims to implement artificial intelligence not only as a technological development; It positions it as a problem of economic competition, national security and digital sovereignty. This strategy reveals Türkiye’s aim to become a more independent and powerful actor in the global AI race.

Today, global companies, especially US-based platforms, are in a dominant position in the use of consumer-oriented artificial intelligence in Turkey. While most of the market is dominated by global solutions such as ChatGPT and Gemini, Türkiye is also taking important steps towards developing domestic alternatives and infrastructure.

AI is no longer just a technology, it is a strategic field

Artificial intelligence with the new AI Action Plan; It is no longer just a matter of innovation, but also one of the fundamental elements of economic competitiveness, national security and digital independence.

Similar policies attract attention around the world. European countries are also turning to domestic solutions to reduce dependence on American technology companies. This trend shows that artificial intelligence has now become a strategic field on a global scale.

Four pillars of Türkiye’s AI strategy

The 2026–2030 plan is based on four main objectives:

• Strengthening the national artificial intelligence infrastructure
• Development of domestic AI technologies
• Increasing artificial intelligence competencies
• Strengthening digital sovereignty

In this context, valuable investments are planned in information centers, cloud infrastructure, high-quality information sets, computing power and artificial intelligence research.

The aim is to make Türkiye a regional artificial intelligence power by the end of the decade.

Most of the AI ​​traffic in Türkiye is on global platforms

According to the current table, more than 90% of artificial intelligence traffic in Turkey occurs through global platforms such as ChatGPT and Gemini. This situation also brings discussions about digital addiction.

The new strategy aims to reduce this dependence and increase the share of domestic technologies.

Europe is also in a similar process of digital independence.

Digital sovereignty policies have gained momentum in Europe as well as in Türkiye. The European Parliament’s choice of the French search engine Qwant instead of Google on some devices is one of the examples of this transformation.

Similarly, companies that develop local large language models such as Mistral AI in France and Aleph Alpha in Germany are supported. The European Union, on the other hand, aims to build independent capacity with programs such as “AI Factories” by investing billions of euros in excellent computers and artificial intelligence infrastructures.

New competitive arena: Consumer AI platforms

As the integration of artificial intelligence into daily life accelerates, competition is not only at the level of model development; It is shifting to the level of platforms that touch the consumer.

Telecom companies, banks, e-commerce platforms and technology companies can play a critical role in this transformation as they interact directly with millions of users.

Telecom sector stands out

Türkiye is one of the largest telecom markets in the region with approximately 100 million mobile subscribers.

Operators such as Turkcell, Türk Telekom and Vodafone Türkiye are already using artificial intelligence to:

• customer service
• network optimization
• cybersecurity
• digital services

actively uses it in its fields.

These companies can now replicate in the artificial intelligence ecosystem the role they played in the expansion of internet access in the past.

Promising Markets for Artificial Intelligence

Companies in the consumer segment can evaluate promising B2C niches in the AI ​​market to combine existing benefits with the new opportunities offered by AI. The concept of ‘artificial intelligence superior applications’, which combines different artificial intelligence solutions on a single platform with the aim of responding to many daily user habits, stands out as a new model at this point.

While the global great app market will reach a size of approximately 121 billion dollars by 2025, it is expected to increase to 968 billion dollars by 2033.

Telecom companies’ existing customer base, infrastructure investments and market position make them advantageous in this growing field.

AI economics is also changing the business model

Artificial intelligence technologies:

• Revenue per user (ARPU) growth
• Reduced customer churn
• Reduced operating costs
• Better customer experience

It is expected to create direct economic effects such as.

This means a more sustainable and competitive digital ecosystem for both the private sector and the public.

The most realistic model for native AI: Collaborations

The most feasible way for many institutions in Türkiye and around the world is seen as establishing collaborations with existing AI solutions rather than developing large models from scratch.

The critical element in this model is not so much technology development as:

• Control of data
• Regulatory compliance
• User relationship
• local experience

to have control over.

A new generation of domestic AI companies may be born

If Türkiye’s AI Action Plan is successful, it will not only increase its technology capacity; It can also enable the emergence of new leading companies in the domestic AI ecosystem.

These companies can contribute to Turkey’s digital sovereignty goals by making artificial intelligence a natural part of daily life, thanks to their strong brand structures and large user bases.