Türkiye plans to form a new entity to consolidate its fiber-optic telecom infrastructure, aiming to accelerate nationwide network expansion, a senior official informed Reuters.
“Discussions are at an early stage and not yet finalized,” the official noted, adding that merging resources could attract further investment and bolster network infrastructure development across the country.
Over the last decade, telecom operators have expanded Türkiye’s fiber network by just over 3% annually, citing complex permit requirements and high costs as constraints. As a result, Türkiye’s network performance lags behind the OECD average.
Turk Telekom, which holds 78% of the country’s 577,000-kilometer (359,000-mile) fiber network under a concession agreement expiring in 2026, has resisted calls for structural changes.
In July, Vodafone Türkiye proposed separating telecom services from infrastructure, but Turk Telekom’s CEO dismissed the idea in September, describing it as an attempt to seize assets set to revert to government control after the concession ends.
Türkiye also trails other countries in fixed-line broadband adoption, with only 23 users per 100 inhabitants, compared to the OECD average of 36. Broadband speed remains a concern as well, with fewer than one high-speed (100 Mbps+) subscriber per 100 people, far below the OECD average of 24.
