Turkey can become key player in mobile apps: Minister

Turkey's share in the mobile application market is growing, the country's technology minister said Thursday.

Turkish entrepreneurs and developers can drive the digital world's trends, Mustafa Varank said during mobile application event Mobilefest in Istanbul.

He said that the Turkish government supports the software sector and developers with its incentives.

"We prioritized the software sector in our 2023 Industry and Technology Strategy, and we aim to reach 500,000 software developers," the minister stated.

Turkey also targets to launch an open-source platform to lower software costs and raise the number of developers and entrepreneurs, he added.

Varank recalled that the country provides technology workshops, such as robotics, electronic programming, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence for children.

He noted that both consumption and production models adopt technology rapidly.

Mobile applications dominate several fields including shopping, travel, entertainment, education, banking, and telecommunications, he said.

Revenues from the mobile application market were $94 billion in 2014 globally, he said, adding that the figure has increased fivefold to $460 billion in 2019.

"The sector is expected to reach $1 trillion as of 2023 [globally], Turkey's mobile app market is also expected to reach $1.5 billion," he added.

He said WhatsApp, which was developed by an independent developer nine years ago, was bought for $19 billion and this showed the power of software and developers.

There were 500 applications in 2008 which have increased to over 2 million as of today, he said.

The four-day event, which started Thursday, hosts companies, technology professionals, start-ups and amateur developers.

The event is expected to be attended by 50,000 visitors and 2,000 professionals.

Mobilefest will also host experts who will give speeches on mobile application and cutting-edge technologies.