Türkiye's AI diplomacy: Protecting citizen data a primary goal

Türkiye has formulated a new artificial intelligence (AI) strategy with a range of goals – including participation in global data governance, responsible AI studies and undertaking international AI projects with strategically important countries and leading tech organisations.

Dr.Merve Ayyuce Kizrak, an AI specialist who assisted the Turkish Ministry of Industry and Technology and the Digital Transformation Office (DTO) – overseen by the Turkish presidency – in the preparation of the newest AI strategy, tells TRT World that the government considers AI as a potential tool to solve the world’s most pressing problems and wants to be at the forefront of this change.

According to Kizrak, the Industry and Technology Ministry and DTO started working on an AI National Risk Management Framework in 2022, an initiative that eventually became a cornerstone for the country’s AI strategy.

“Its ultimate goal is to position Türkiye as a leader in the new global relations and power balances that are emerging as a result of AI technology.”

“The strategy document is expected to make a significant contribution to Türkiye's efforts to stay ahead of the curve in this rapidly evolving field,” Kizrak added.

Artificial Intelligence is transforming industries and impacting every aspect of our lives at an unprecedented rate, making clear that no country can keep up with this technology on its own.

While AI promises to revolutionise our world, concerns over digital sovereignty and citizens' privacy are at an all-time high.

While nations work to harness the power of AI and minimise its negative effects, the role of global cooperation in shaping its future has become critical.

“As AI and data become new tools for economic development, we must make sure that the benefits of this growth are shared more fairly throughout countries and societies, all the while safeguarding fundamental human rights and liberties,” says Dr. Safa Uslu, head of the international relations department of the Digital Transformation Office.

With virtual worlds shaping the future of the human race, it has become increasingly important to enshrine ethics and laws in all forms of digital technologies to safeguard fundamental human rights.

He also emphasised the need to prioritise proactive measures – such as safeguarding citizen data within the Turkish borders and building firewalls to prevent social profiling of Turkish citizens from outside actors – and advancement and implementation of AI technologies to accelerate societal progress.

By practising AI diplomacy, Türkiye seeks to amplify its impact, open up new economic avenues, and encourage human-centred responsible use of AI technologies.

The term “Responsible AI” refers to developing AI systems designed to minimise harm to society, promote fairness and inclusivity, and protect individual privacy and human rights.

Türkiye’s First AI Strategy

“Developing a national AI strategy is a must in order to be prepared for the impact AI will have on international relations”, says a report titled ‘Mapping the challenges and opportunities of artificial intelligence for the conduct of diplomacy’ published by DiploFoundation, an international NGO that specialises on capacity development in the field of Internet governance and digital policy.

Türkiye joined the ranks of nations with AI strategies in 2021 by launching its first National Artificial Intelligence Strategy with the motto of “creating value on a global scale with an agile and sustainable AI ecosystem for a prosperous Türkiye” in August 2021.

Fostering International Cooperation on AI

To achieve these goals, Turkish officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Industry and Technology and the Digital Transformation Office are actively representing Türkiye and its interests in innovative technologies, including AI, within a number of international decision-making bodies, such as the EU, G7 and OECD.

The Committee on Artificial Intelligence (CAI) is one of the most well-known international bodies working to provide guidelines for and encourage the ethical application of AI. It's a Council of Europe committee that's working on establishing binding guidelines for the public and private sectors to follow when researching, designing, and implementing AI.

“The Turkish delegation is actively engaged in diplomatic efforts to shape and finalise the CAI’s international convention on AI”, says Seyma Ozcan from the Digital Transformation Office in her article titled “Diplomacy in the Digital Age” from the book “The Century of Digital” published by the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA).

Global Partnership on AI (GPAI) is another international initiative launched by the G7 in June 2020. It defines itself as a “multi-stakeholder initiative to promote responsible AI use that respects human rights and democratic values,” according to the organisation’s website.

Currently, it has 29 member states, and Türkiye’s membership application was approved in November 2022.

“Through its membership in GPAI, Türkiye will bring added value to the international collaboration in that platform towards the responsible development and use of AI,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement, stressing the importance of benefitting from the multi-stakeholder collaboration under GPAI to adopt trustworthy AI and mitigate potential challenges.

Türkiye will actively engage in GPAI’s activities and promote the ethical and responsible use of artificial intelligence, it said.

Zumrut Muftuoglu is a member of GPAI and represents Türkiye in some of the initiative's working groups. She holds a PhD degree in privacy-enhancing AI technologies.

Privacy Enhancing Technologies is one of the projects she works on the GPAI as the subject is her speciality. “Here, we prioritise secure data sharing without compromising user privacy or countries’ sovereignty, ” she tells TRT World.

“Türkiye’s Digital Transformation Office contributes to the activities of GPAI in accordance with its shared values and objectives by advocating for the ethical and responsible application of AI on the part of its high-level country representation and technical specialists.”

The OECD also plays a crucial role in shaping policies and strategies to regulate and promote AI's ethical and responsible use as one of the most influential organisations setting international policy guidelines in the transition to the digital economy.

The OECD Recommendation on AI, adopted in 2019, aims to build the AI ecosystem in a way that supports democratic and ethical principles; as a founding member of the OECD and an active participant in its policy-making process, Türkiye has signed on as a supporter of this goal.

The proposal for this recommendation on AI stated the need to promote the development of AI that is both innovative and reliable while also being respectful of human rights, protective of democratic values, and responsible.

Türkiye is also a contributing member of the OECD's AI studies, such as its’ AI Expert Network and the Working Party on AI Governance (WPAIGO), and actively promotes AI driven by ethical and democratic ideals.