Minister Uraloğlu: "Türksat Data Center Will Protect Public Data at the Highest Level"

Türkiye’s cybersecurity architecture, domestic software power, and data sovereignty were addressed at the 19th Information Security and Cryptology Conference organized under the sponsorship of Türksat. Speaking at the opening of the conference, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu stated that keeping data within the country’s borders is the most concrete expression of technological sovereignty, emphasizing that the Türksat Gölbaşı Data Center, the foundation of which has been laid, will protect critical public data—primarily e-Government (e-Devlet)—with domestic software and top-level security.

Organized under the sponsorship of Türksat with the theme “Cyber Wars in the New World Order,” the 19th Information Security and Cryptology Conference began at the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK). Speaking at the opening of the conference, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu stated that from a cryptological perspective, data centers are the guarantee of the long-term security of digital assets, saying, "Keeping, processing, and protecting data within our own borders is the most concrete expression of our cyber independence and technological sovereignty." Pointing out that data is the most strategic resource of the new era, Minister Uraloğlu said that cybersecurity software and technologies serve as the most critical shield protecting this treasure. Noting that data is not merely an archived pile, but also the raw material of production, the shield of security, the engine of the economy, and the foundation of sovereignty, Uraloğlu stated:
"In the age of artificial intelligence, cloud computing, the Internet of Things, and high-performance computing, a country’s power is measured by its capability to produce data, keep it within its own borders, process it, protect it, and transform it into value. Where this data is hosted, under what standards it is processed, and under whose control it remains is no longer merely a technological issue, but also a strategic, economic, and national matter. Undoubtedly, the countries that establish data sovereignty are the winners of tomorrow."

Türksat Data Center will be Türkiye's digital fortress

Underlining that cyber resilience, deterrence, technology wars in global competition, and cyber espionage are of critical importance, Uraloğlu described the data centers built through the public and private sectors as Türkiye's new digital fortresses. Minister Uraloğlu spoke as follows: "The Türksat Data Center, the foundation of which we laid in Gölbaşı, Ankara in July, is becoming one of Türkiye's largest data centers with its massive area of 35,300 square meters. This facility, which will increase our current capacity threefold in the first phase and more than eightfold in the second phase, will protect critical public data, primarily e-Government, with domestic software, at international standards, and at the highest level of security. While on one hand this giant fortress that will carry the critical digital load of the public sector rises, on the other hand, we continue to expand regional and international capacity through the power of the private sector."

Reminding that the Vodafone İzmir Data Center, put into service in September, was added to this chain as an important link and that they are expanding Türkiye's digital security map step by step, Uraloğlu emphasized that encrypting critical data, key management, access controls, and establishing infrastructures resilient against future quantum threats are the most fundamental functions of data centers. Uraloğlu stated that thanks to these projects, while Türkiye gains a scalable infrastructure that will meet its growing needs in data production, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence, it also strengthens its goal of becoming a regional data center hub.

Institutional capacity in cybersecurity and the protection of children

Explaining that they resolutely continue their efforts to develop domestic and national technologies within the scope of the National Cybersecurity Strategy and Action Plan prepared under the coordination of the Ministry, Uraloğlu stated that the Directorate of Cybersecurity established under the Presidency is a concrete reflection of the will to protect our country's national interests in the cyber world. Stating that this infrastructure, strengthened by the Cybersecurity Law, will make coordinated response against cyber threats and cooperation among the public sector, private sector, and academia more effective, Uraloğlu expressed that Türkiye achieving a full score in all areas and being placed in the "Tier 1: Role-Modelling" category in the International Telecommunication Union's Global Cybersecurity Index is the international registration of this capacity. Emphasizing that the most sensitive and priority dimension of cybersecurity efforts is the protection of children in the digital world, Uraloğlu noted that restricting the provision of social network services to children under the age of 15 through the published regulation, conducting age verification via e-Government, implementing special protection measures for the 15–18 age group, and making parental control tools mandatory are clear indicators of this determination. Stating that the proliferation of 5G and 6G technologies and artificial intelligence applications has created new needs in areas such as strengthening cryptographic infrastructures, Uraloğlu said he believes the conference will make significant contributions to the security of critical infrastructures.

Appreciation to Türksat

Following the opening speeches, a plaque of appreciation was presented to Türksat for its valuable contributions to the development of Türkiye’s cybersecurity ecosystem and the realization of the organization. The plaque was presented to Türksat Acting General Manager Mehmet Sarı by Vice President of the Presidency's Directorate of Cybersecurity Yusuf Tancan.

Türksat’s cybersecurity and domestic software experience shared

Within the scope of the conference, technical presentations aimed at strengthening Türkiye's digital infrastructure and increasing its capacity in the field of cybersecurity were also held. Speaking at the "Platform Cybersecurity" session, one of the notable parts of the organization, Türksat Vice President Orhan Koca made evaluations on digital transformation, cybersecurity architecture, and the importance of the domestic software ecosystem.