Turkcell, Google Cloud to build hyperscale data centers in Türkiye

ISTANBUL

Turkcell will partner with Google Cloud to build hyperscale data centers in Türkiye, a project expected to contribute about $5 billion annually to the country’s national income while ensuring that locally generated data remains stored and processed domestically, said Turkcell Chief Executive Officer Ali Taha Koç.

Under the agreement, Türkiye will become Google Cloud’s 43rd global region, gaining access to advanced cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) services through what the companies describe as a fully compliant “Sovereign Cloud” infrastructure aligned with local regulations.

The project follows nearly two years of negotiations.

The data centers will be built in Ankara, with construction expected to begin in the first quarter of 2026 and full capacity planned by 2028. Turkcell said the facilities are expected to improve efficiency across sectors including public institutions, finance, startups and heavy industry.

“We will provide access to more than 200 services in Türkiye,” Koç said in an interview.

Although Turkcell currently operates the country’s largest data center capacity at 50 megawatts, Koç said partnering with a global provider was necessary to reach international scale and standards.

“Whatever exists in Google Cloud’s other 42 regions will exist in Türkiye in exactly the same way,” he said. “That was our condition, and it was accepted.”

The Ankara facilities will function as a single cloud region composed of three synchronized but independent data centers.

Data will be encrypted and stored across all three sites, with encryption keys controlled exclusively by customers.