Telecommunication Regulation (Stage 3/Stage 4)
In order to provide a telecommunication service in Turkey, a company requires either an
authorization agreement, a concession agreement, a telecommunication license, or general authorization issued by the Telecommunications Authority. Internet service providers are required to obtain an individual General Authorization under the current regime. This requirement is unnecessary since ISPs should have no specific or individual obligations not to mention that there need be no limitations on the number of ISPs nor do they require allocation of scarce resources. Turkey should consider allowing them to operate through a system of registration. It should be noted that in most OECD countries ISPs do not need any licenses or authorization to operate.
ICT Trade Policy (Stage 3/Stage 4)
Changes in the electronic industry's production and import and export figures also reveal the structural changes in the ICT industry during last decade. GSM based
technologies namely base stations, mobile switches and handsets were heavily
imported in those years. The domestic production of telecommunication devices declined in the same period. Consumer electronics made a major contribution to ICT exports. Despite these changes, electronic exports and imports were around 5% and 10% of the total export and import figures correspondingly from 1999 to 2001. The ICT share of total exports improved from an average of 3% during 1995-1997 to 5% during 1999-2001