January 2025 – In a landmark move, Türkiye has established the Cybersecurity Presidency (in Turkish: Siber Güvenlik Başkanlığı) under a newly published Presidential Decree on 8 January 2025. This development marks a pivotal moment to enhance the digital security infrastructure of Türkiye and reflects a growing recognition of the critical importance of cybersecurity in today’s interconnected world.
Below, we provide an overview of the key aspects of this new institution.
What is the Cybersecurity Presidency?
The Cybersecurity Presidency is a newly established public legal entity affiliated with the Presidency of Türkiye. With its headquarters in Ankara, the institution will have a special budget and a wide-ranging mandate to lead the country’s cybersecurity efforts.
Purpose and goals
The primary purpose of the Cybersecurity Presidency is to safeguard Türkiye’s cyberspace by developing and implementing strategies, policies, and regulations aimed at:
- strengthening overall cyber resilience;
- encouraging the development of local and national cybersecurity technologies;
- promoting collaboration between public institutions, private sector actors, universities, and other stakeholders;
- raising awareness and fostering education around cybersecurity issues;
- coordinating emergency response and crisis management for cyber incidents.
Key responsibilities
The organisation has been entrusted with set of duties, including:
- Policy development: Designing national cybersecurity strategies, action plans, and regulations.
- Awareness and education: Conducting training programs and awareness campaigns to improve digital security practices.
- Innovation and ecosystem growth: Supporting local entrepreneurs and developers in creating competitive cybersecurity products for global markets.
- Research and development (R&D): Driving innovation through R&D projects and technology transfers.
- International and domestic collaboration: Strengthening ties between public, private, and academic institutions to create a robust cybersecurity ecosystem.
- Emergency preparedness: Establishing operational frameworks for cyber crisis management and rapid response.
Organisational structure
The Cybersecurity Presidency will operate under the leadership of a chair, who will report directly to the President of Türkiye. It is composed of several specialised departments as follows:
- Cyber Defence Directorate
- Cyber Resilience Directorate
- Ecosystem Development Directorate
- International Relations Department
- Legal Advisory Department
- Press and Public Relations Unit
The organisational framework underscores the Presidency’s emphasis on both operational capabilities and collaboration across sectors.
In conclusion, this development is a clear indication of Türkiye’s commitment to addressing growing cyber threats and ensuring its resilience in an increasingly digital world. For businesses and institutions, the creation of the Cybersecurity Presidency may present both challenges and opportunities.