Türkiye is moving to replace proprietary operating systems with Linux-based, open-source software in public institutions, beginning with a pilot program at the Ministry of National Defence's Draft Department. The national operating system chosen for the rollout is Pardus, developed by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TUBITAK) through its Electronics and Cryptology Research Institute (UEKAE).
The initiative falls under the country's e-transformation project, which seeks to improve the efficiency of public services through better use of information technology. UEKAE was formally tasked with carrying out the pilot transition to open-source software within a designated government body.
UEKAE's Dr. Erkan Tekman cited security as the primary benefit of open-source systems, noting that code can be reviewed at every stage by a wide range of independent parties, making malicious tampering easier to detect. He also pointed to the flexibility of software whose source code can be adapted to meet specific needs.
Public institutions in Türkiye currently spend around 150 million YTL (roughly 100 million USD) annually on desktop operating system licenses. Tekman estimated that even a 10 percent adoption rate for Pardus could save approximately 15 million YTL (10 million USD) per year, about 20 times the system's annual development budget.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in October 2006, in its own words.