Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Dr. Ömer Fatih Sayan attended the Digital Introduction Meeting of the Electronic Commerce Information System (ETBİS), organized by the Ministry of Trade, where the country's e-commerce data was also announced.
Pointing out that the pandemic has deeply affected all aspects of life, Sayan drew attention to the fact that internet usage, which has followed an upward trend in recent years, has increased even more with the outbreak.
Recalling President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s words, “Our agenda includes digital economy, digital trade, digital Turkey, and cities of the future,” Sayan said, “We have worked with this awareness and planning. Digital Transformation and the National Technology Initiative are the maps of the path we are following under the leadership of our President. And time has increased the value of these maps even more. 5G, domestically produced ventilators, cybersecurity, or unmanned aerial vehicles. All of them are more valuable today than yesterday. We have made a massive infrastructure and human resources push. We have achieved a mentality revolution. Now, to put it colloquially, it's time to polish it. We must make fine tunings, sectoral strategies, precise and the longest-term possible planning. Insha'Allah, just as we have reached these days, we will succeed in the future as well.”
Deputy Minister Sayan stated, “The establishment of the necessary methodology for all collected data resulting from notifications made to ETBİS, determination of the overall e-commerce volume, production of statistics on the distribution of e-commerce volume based on variables such as sectors, provinces, and demographic characteristics within the Official Statistics Program, conducting forecasting studies to identify contraction and expansion periods in e-commerce, sharing this statistical information with the public monthly, and forming and economically evaluating medium- and long-term e-commerce policies constitute a significant part of the studies.”
Deputy Minister Sayan: More Detailed Information Will Be Accessible with This Protocol
Touching on the studies conducted by the Ministry of Transport in this field, Sayan said, “Statistical information is also collected from service providers operating in the postal sector by the BTK. However, data from the postal sector collected without properly obtained e-commerce data remains significantly incomplete. With the signed protocol in this scope, it will be possible to access much more detailed information about the Turkish postal sector together with the data to be transmitted to BTK. Moreover, considering that e-commerce is one of the most important dynamics of the postal sector, I believe these data will provide significant input for BTK to make more effective and targeted regulations in many areas such as service quality in the postal sector, user rights, and resolution of consumer complaints. The e-commerce data prepared by the Ministry of Trade will also serve as an important reference point for the comprehensive regulations that BTK plans to implement in transitioning to a recipient-oriented postal sector.”
Deputy Minister Sayan: Security is One of the Most Important Dimensions of E-Commerce
Emphasizing that e-commerce must be conducted securely, Sayan said, “Security and privacy of personal data are the most significant obstacles to the wider dissemination of e-commerce services. In 2009, one-third of internet users in EU countries cited concerns about payment security and personal data as the main reason for not shopping online. Although this rate dropped to around 25% in 2015, it continues to be the most important issue that needs to be overcome. Under the coordination of our Ministry, with the ongoing work at the National Cyber Incident Response Center (USOM) under BTK, we are carrying out preventive activities against phishing sites, internet addresses spreading malicious software, and threats and vulnerabilities in critical institutions and organizations across the country. Within the scope of USOM activities, 20,081 malicious links were detected in 2019, and as of June 2020, 16,330 malicious links were identified, checked, and access was blocked at the infrastructure level.”
Deputy Minister Sayan concluded his speech by emphasizing that they are ready for any cooperation and joint work with the Ministry of Trade on this issue.