The turnover of Turkey's electronic communications sector reached TL 59 billion in 2018, according to the Turkish Competitive Telco Operators Association (TELEKODER) yesterday.

"The turnover of the sector was TL 14 billion in 2003. Our sector is growing, [even] if we take inflation into account," Yusuf Ata Arıak, head of TELEKODER, told in a news conference.

Arıak noted that telecommunication giants Türk Telekom, Turkcell and Vodafone grabbed a 91 percent share of the sector while the rest was controlled by alternative operators, who are the members of TELEKODER.

Underlining that the world's heaviest tax burdens were exacted on telecommunications, Arıak said half of the sector's bills consisted of taxes.

"High taxes are one of the biggest obstacles to the growth of the sector," he said.

Arıak stressed the importance of data centers and the prevention of data escaping overseas, noting that most of Turkey's data is kept abroad.

Wholesale internet prices should be kept at low levels in order to allow firms to provide consumers with cheap prices and freedom of choice, he added.