Istanbul hosts Türkiye E-Commerce Week to map future of trade

The future of digital trade in Türkiye is set to be charted at the Türkiye E-Commerce Week, a major gathering commencing on Friday in Istanbul. Organized collaboratively by the Trade Ministry, the Electronic Commerce Operators Association (ETID), and the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB), the event convenes under the banner of "Future-Commerce" to shape the nation's digital trade vision.

A Platform for Innovation and Connection

This two-day event is designed as a comprehensive platform, featuring panels, workshops, and networking sessions that connect industry professionals, investors, and academics. The program will highlight entrepreneurial success stories, the transformative role of artificial intelligence, and the impacts of ongoing digital transformation on the commerce sector, aiming to foster growth and innovation within the Turkish digital economy.

Introducing a National Shopping Festival

A significant announcement accompanying the event was the introduction of a new national initiative. Çağatay Yasin Karaboğa, head of the Trade Ministry’s Electronic Commerce Department, revealed that November will now be known as the "Türkiye Shopping Festival." "For the first time, Türkiye will have a shopping week that doesn’t originate from abroad," he stated, indicating a move to establish a strong domestic alternative to international shopping events like Black Friday, supported by substantial discounts.

The Scale of E-commerce in Türkiye

The event also served to underscore the massive scale and penetration of e-commerce in the country. Karaboğa cited recent data showing that the e-commerce volume in Türkiye has reached $90 billion in 2024, involving 5.9 billion transactions. He highlighted that online sales now constitute 19.1% of all trade, meaning one in every five commercial transactions in the country is now conducted online, marking a fundamental shift in consumer and business habits.