During the International Economy Summit held in Sapanca, Sakarya, Turkcell CEO Ali Taha Koc announced that the company has started producing its own energy with an investment of 240 million USD. He emphasized that although 100% of the energy they consume is renewable, they aim to produce 65% of it themselves through ongoing investments in solar and wind energy power plants.
The panel titled “Future Scenarios of Leaders: New World, New Companies, Innovative Investments and Strategies” featured Ali Taha Koc, CEO of Turkcell; Ali Ulker, Chairman of Yildiz Holding; Esin Gural Argat, Vice Chairperson of Gurok Group; and Mustafa Sani Sener, Chairman of TAV Construction and Co-Founder of TAV Airports.
Highlighting the importance of strong networks, Koc stated, “As Turkcell, we are building these networks and continuing our efforts in fiber infrastructure and next-generation wireless communication technologies such as 5G.”
“We Aim to Produce 65% of the Energy We Consume Ourselves”
Discussing the energy demands of the telecom sector, Koc noted:
“The telecom industry accounts for 1% of Türkiye’s total energy consumption. Turkcell operates over 35,000 base stations that run 24/7 and constantly consume electricity. Our energy consumption has increased along with our data center investments. With an investment of 240 million USD, we now produce our own energy. While 100% of our energy comes from renewable sources, our goal is to produce 65% of that ourselves. We will continue investing in solar energy systems (GES) and wind energy systems (RES).”
“28 Billion USD Investment Since 1994”
Koc pointed out that Turkcell has invested 28 billion USD in Türkiye since its establishment in 1994 and plans to allocate 24% of its revenue to investments this year.
He added, “We are committed to providing the best service to over 41 million users. From the era of 2G voice services, to 3G and 4G, and now preparing for 5G in 2026, significant investment is required to bring such advanced technologies.”
Highlighting their vision to make Türkiye a data hub, Koc reminded attendees of the launch of their new company, “TDC Data Center,” last year. He emphasized that “those who control data hold power.”
On artificial intelligence, Koc stated that we are currently seeing just a “trailer” and remarked:
“In addition to digital literacy, we need to introduce AI literacy so that we don’t miss this AI revolution. We are working intensively with the Ministry of National Education and NGOs on this.”
Source: Patronlar Dünyası/ Prepared by: İlayda Gök