Turkish president orders ruling party to organize metaverse forum

Turkish officials have recently identified the metaverse as a priority area for policy development.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and ruling Ak Party officials met earlier this week to discuss the metaverse, with the president calling for comprehensive research on the subject.

Erdoğan has reportedly urged the Ak Party to study the metaverse, cryptocurrencies and how transactions are made using them, according to a Daily Sabah report.

At a meeting on Tuesday, party leaders were instructed to research the phenomenon with significant ramifications for the future. The economic aspects of the metaverse, cryptocurrencies and social media are likely to be addressed at a forum that will be organized by the ruling party. 

In Turkey, the metaverse is gaining interest. According to some reports, thousands of virtual territories in Turkey, most of which are located in the historic former capital of Istanbul, have already been purchased in game-based metaverse platforms.

Ak Parti olarak #Metaverse üzerinden ilk toplantımızı gerçekleştirdik. pic.twitter.com/19Xfd6sIWR

— AK Parti Bilgi İletişim Teknolojileri (@AKbilgitek) January 17, 2022

As Cointelegraph reported, the Turkish government recently met in the metaverse to discuss cryptocurrency legislation. Grand National Assembly of Turkey chairman Mustafa Elitaş then said, “I believe that metaverse-based meetings would be improved expeditiously and become an essential part of our lives.”

Related: Crypto and NFTs meet regulation as Turkey takes on the digital future

While the Turkish government is open to blockchain technology, metaverse and a state-issued digital currency, President Erdoğan is notorious for his harsh opposition to cryptocurrencies. Last year, during a public Q&A session, he “declared war” on cryptocurrencies, implying the country had no interest in adopting them.