Erdogan issues AI Action Plan circular: Industry Ministry appointed as coordinator

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed the circular enacting Turkey's Artificial Intelligence Action Plan (2026-2030); the text was published in the Official Gazette today. The Ministry of Industry and Technology was designated as the coordinating body for the plan; coordination among public institutions, private companies, universities, and civil society organizations is envisioned.

The circular emphasized that artificial intelligence is a "critical technology emerging from the combination of big data, advanced computing capacity, and algorithmic innovation." It was noted that countries' competitive strength and technological sovereignty are shaped by competence in this field, and the plan was built on five pillars: human-centeredness, reliability, ethical responsibility, digital sovereignty, and sustainability.

Why now: Turkey's previous National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (2021-2025) has expired. That document was criticized for coordination gaps in implementation; different ministries carried out overlapping AI projects independently, and a shared data infrastructure could not be established.