Don’t hamper base stations, says minister

ANKARA - Anatolia News Agency

Minister Yıldırım tells local authorities not to take action against phone towers.

Turkish Transportation and Communication Minister Binali Yıldırım has sent a circular note to province governors calling on them to ease the procedures for the erection of cell-phone towers.

The minister requested that no action be taken against the towers so as to maintain mobile communications, which have now become a public service. Instead, provincial authorities are asked to facilitate the erection of cell-phone towers.

The ministry has received information about interference by local governments in base stations for various reasons such as their establishment, operation and site selection, and this interference has hampered electronic communication services, said the circular note.

Electronic communication infrastructure is vital for emergency calls at times of earthquakes, floods and accidents and is also important for internal security, as well as trade, the note said.