Milliyet – Consumer spending on the internet has risen by 35 percent in 2014 over the preceding year, according to a report by the Informatics Industry Association of Turkey (TUBISAD). Having reached a volume of about TRY 19 billion (approx. USD 7 billion) last year, the Turkish e-commerce sector corresponded to 1.6 percent of the country’s total annual retail spending, the report stated..

Speaking on the report’s findings in a press conference, TUBİSAD Chairman Kemal Ciliz pointed at the strong performance of the sector at a time of sluggish growth in the Turkish economy. “Once based on a sound legal basis and backed by up-to-date legislation, the e-commerce sector will contribute more to the tax system, employment creation, and overall trade,” he noted, adding that the sector was not at the desired level..

TUBISAD Board Member and New Media and E-commerce Commission Head Burak Ertas said that the sector held enormous growth potential, as a 1.6-percent share in the total retail spending indicated. “When compared with developed and emerging countries, Turkey’s e-commerce sector has ample room to grow,” he remarked. The share of e-commerce in the overall retail business is 6.5 percent in developed countries and 4.5 percent in emerging countries..

Out of a population of 77 million, Turkey has 42.9 million broadband internet users, according to the latest Turkish Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) figures. The country has over 72 million mobile subscribers and 34 million mobile internet users.