Turkcell and Google Cloud Forge Partnership to Establish Hyperscale Data Center Region in Türkiye

Turkcell and Google Cloud Forge Partnership to Establish Hyperscale Data Center Region in Türkiye December 25, 2025 In a landmark move for the nation's digital infrastructure, Turkish telecommunications leader Turkcell has entered a strategic partnership with Google Cloud to build a new hyperscale data center region in the capital city of Ankara. This initiative, announced by Turkcell CEO Ali Taha Koc, is projected to contribute approximately $5 billion annually to the national economy and marks a significant step in ensuring data sovereignty by keeping locally generated data stored and processed within Türkiye's borders. The agreement establishes Türkiye as Google Cloud's 43rd global cloud region. It will provide Turkish businesses, public institutions, and startups with access to Google's full suite of over 200 advanced cloud and artificial intelligence services. Crucially, this will be delivered through a "Sovereign Cloud" infrastructure, designed to be fully compliant with local regulations and security requirements. The project, culminating nearly two years of negotiations, is positioned as a cornerstone of the country's broader digital transformation agenda. Construction of the Ankara region is scheduled to commence in the first quarter of 2026, with the facilities planned to reach full operational capacity by 2028. The architecture will consist of three synchronized yet independent data center sites, functioning as a single cloud region to ensure high redundancy and resilience. Data will be encrypted across all three sites, with encryption keys controlled exclusively by customers. "This investment allows us to say clearly that 'Türkiye's data will stay in Türkiye'," stated CEO Ali Taha Koc. He emphasized that this sovereign model is essential for government and financial entities to adopt cloud services while meeting strict compliance mandates. The partnership addresses a critical scaling need. While Turkcell currently operates the nation's largest data center capacity at 50 megawatts, Koc noted that collaborating with a global provider like Google Cloud was necessary to achieve international scale and standards. "Whatever exists in Google Cloud's other 42 regions will exist in Türkiye in exactly the same way. That was our condition, and it was accepted," he said in an interview. The domestic hosting of services is also expected to drastically reduce latency, improving efficiency for sectors from finance and heavy industry to public services. Koc highlighted the transformative potential for Türkiye's startup ecosystem, where the pay-as-you-go cloud model lowers barriers to entry by eliminating large upfront IT investments. "Instead of building infrastructure for 1 million users when you only have 10,000 today, companies will pay only for what they use," he explained, noting this approach shortens development cycles and improves cost efficiency. Looking ahead, the CEO framed the hyperscale investment as essential preparation for the data deluge from 5G, future 6G networks, and technologies like smart cities and the "Internet of Senses." "With smart cities, everything from homes and meters to traffic lights will be connected. By applying AI models to this data, we will add intelligence to our cities through these data centers in Türkiye," Koc said. Energy consumption for the massive facilities is a key consideration. Turkcell is expanding its renewable energy portfolio to power the future data centers, aligning with its 2050 net-zero emissions target. The company currently operates an 18-megawatt wind plant and has commissioned 63 megawatts of solar capacity as part of a planned 210-megawatt solar portfolio. "When these data centers are operational, we intend to meet their energy needs with renewable sources and move steadily toward our net-zero goal," Koc affirmed. Source: aa