Dr. Ömer Fatih Sayan, Turkey’s deputy minister of transport and infrastructure, used his keynote address at the opening of the 17th ITS European Congress in Istanbul this morning to outline the country’s progress in 5G-enabled intelligent transportation, with a flagship corridor connecting the city centre to its international airport at the centrepiece of his presentation.
Speaking to an international audience of public sector officials, industry representatives and academics, Sayan welcomed delegates to what he described as a city of unique geographic and cultural significance — a place where “continents meet, cultures blend, and people become a part of a shared civilization.”
5G corridors and cooperative ITS
A 40km corridor between Hasdal junction and Istanbul Airport forms the most concrete example of Turkey’s ITS ambitions. The project, built on domestic fiber infrastructure, marks the first activation of 5G-based roadside units in the field of transportation in Turkey, and uses AI-supported analysis to predict traffic density and optimise load.
A 110km corridor is also under development, equipped with advanced warning systems for collision risk, hard braking and traffic density situations.
Some delegates, Sayan noted, would be conducting field visits to the Hasdal–Airport corridor today and Tuesday. Places on the Technical Tour must be prebooked.
Sayan described the impact of 5G on intelligent transportation as “extending the roads absolutely,” comparing frequency bands to motorway lanes: the more efficiently they are used, the faster and more reliably data flows between vehicles, roads, traffic systems and cities. Turkey completed its 5G auction at the start of April, with the government’s stated priority being not to be the fastest adopter, but to deploy the most advanced and mature technology available.
National ITS architecture and connectivity
The ministry, Sayan said, does not view transportation “merely as an infrastructure issue” but as a challenge requiring digitalization, sustainability and a focus on user needs. A national ITS architecture has been completed, bringing all components under a single digital platform to eliminate fragmented structures. The ministry has also developed vehicle-to-everything (V2X) solutions in collaboration with Turkish universities, alongside an integrated payment system covering multiple cities through a single card and application.
On fiber, Sayan cited IDATE figures showing Turkey achieved a 24% year-on-year increase in fiber-to-the-home investment in 2025 — the second-highest growth rate among 39 European countries. He also highlighted Turkey’s development of eSIM technology using entirely domestic means, describing it as offering significant advantages in flexibility and security for transportation applications.
Domestic production as a strategic principle
Throughout the address, Sayan returned repeatedly to the principle of domestic and national production, describing it as “our red line.” During the 4G LTE rollout, Turkey exceeded the 45% domestic product usage requirement imposed on operators, and that principle is being carried into 5G. Drawing on international comparisons, he pointed to Singapore’s end-to-end data-driven transport management, Seoul’s real-time AI traffic direction, smart intersections in the Netherlands that dynamically detect pedestrians, and V2X deployment in the United States — positioning Turkey’s projects as operating at the same level of ambition.
A broader digital responsibility
Sayan closed by stepping beyond transportation to raise concerns about the digital environment facing children, describing the issue as one of shared international responsibility. “There are those who whisper unimaginable evils to children at a very young age” through gaming and social media applications, he said, calling on all countries to make the digital world “controllable and worthy of human dignity.” He concluded with a poem about Istanbul, encouraging delegates to explore the city during the Congress.
The 17th ITS European Congress, organised by ERTICO–ITS Europe, continues in Istanbul through the week.
