Corporate Social Responsibility Projects

Corporate Social Responsibility Projects

At Türk Telekom, while leading Türkiye’s digital transformation, we continue to develop corporate social responsibility projects that focus on sustainable development. Guided by our philosophy of “technology that improves the future,” we continue our efforts based on the principles of equal opportunity and accessibility for all.

In addition to our technology- and innovationdriven products and services, we consider it our responsibility to improve access to information for individuals who face economic, social, regional, or physical barriers to equal participation in society. In this context, we aim to turn technology into a force for social good that adds value to people’s lives.

We contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in the areas of supporting quality education and reducing social inequalities through our corporate social responsibility initiatives. Within this scope, projects implemented at the national scale in line with our “Türkiye is Worth All Our Efforts” approach include:

• 100th Anniversary Libraries, Technology, and Education Support

• Life is Simple on Digital

• Günışığı (Sunshine)

• Books on the Phone

• Accessible Theatre

• Smartex Smart Exercises

• Accessible AKM

Additionally, we contribute directly to local development through social responsibility projects implemented at the local level in Türk Telekom Provincial Directorates.

100th Anniversary Libraries, Technology, and Education Support Project

At the beginning of 2024, we launched the “100th Anniversary Libraries, Technology, and Education Support Project” in collaboration with the Turkish Red Crescent and our subsidiary Sebit to support students affected by the earthquakes in the region.

Through the project, we provide technology and educational support to the 100th Anniversary Libraries established in container cities, contributing to the education of students in the region—especially those preparing for high school and university entrance exams.

In 2024, we delivered technology and education support to 11 libraries located in Adıyaman, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kahramanmaraş, Malatya, and Osmaniye. We made Sebit’s AI-powered educational tools—Vitamin LGS and Raunt— available to students, including their printed book sets and digital products offering personalised smart study programmes for exam preparation. We also organised pre-exam motivation workshops for students preparing for high school and university entrance exams and for their parents.

As a result, over 55,000 students benefited from the 11 libraries throughout 2024.

Life is Simple on Digital Projects

In partnership with the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Habitat Association, we launched the Life is Simple on Digital project to support Türkiye’s digital transformation by enhancing women’s digital competencies and enabling their more equal participation in social life.

Since its inception in 2019, the project has reached 30,000 women in total. In 2024 alone, we delivered digital literacy and digital marketing training to 15,000 women across Türkiye via face-to-face and online channels.

In this phase of our project, we prioritised women entrepreneurs affected by the earthquakes. As a result of the mentoring and grant programme, 20 women entrepreneurs—12 of whom are from the earthquake-affected region—were awarded grants.

According to the 2024 social impact study, each investment unit in the project generated 3.09 units of social value.

Günışığı (Sunshine) Project

Since 2014, we have implemented the Günışığı (Sunshine) project in partnership with the Engelsiz Yaşam Derneği (Association for Barrier-Free Living) to raise awareness of preventable blindness and visual impairment. The project enables children diagnosed with low vision to receive early intervention training, helping them develop their remaining vision and continue their education alongside their nondisabled peers in mainstream schools.

In 2024, we focused on expanding the use of the TahtApp application, which was developed under the Günışığı project to support low-vision students in inclusive classrooms. With the support of our Regional Directorates, we completed installations in 45 new schools across 14 provinces, making TahtApp accessible to more students. As of 2024, 105 students with low vision are benefiting from TahtApp in 100 schools across 25 provinces.

As part of the project, we organised 12 online training sessions where students with low vision, their families, and educators were able to share experiences and engage with experts. Additionally, we delivered awareness seminars to educate families, teachers, and peers about the challenges faced by low-vision students and their learning needs.

Books on the Phone Project

With “Books on the Phone,” Türkiye’s first phone-based audiobook service, launched in 2011 for visually impaired individuals, we continue to be the voice that brings books to them.

In 2024, the Books on the Phone app supported the equal participation of visually impaired individuals in daily life through thousands of audiobooks and features such as real-time audio news access, described artworks, currency recognition, and medicine barcode scanning.

As part of the project, we organised voiceover workshops for Türk Telekom employees and other volunteers to expand the audiobook library available to visually impaired users.

During Disability Awareness Week, we hosted a described art session at the Atatürk Cultural Centre (AKM), where we are the main sponsor, allowing art enthusiasts who are visually impaired to experience iconic artworks through audio description.

By the end of 2024, the app had been downloaded a total of 64,593 times.

The Kitaplara Ses application, which was developed by Türk Telekom to facilitate the vocalisation of books by volunteers, was downloaded 72,289 times in total to help visually impaired individuals access more audiobooks.

Accessible Theatre Project

In partnership with the General Directorate of State Theatres and Istanbul State Theatre, we launched the Accessible Theatre project in 2024 to improve access to cultural events for individuals with visual and hearing impairments. As part of the project, we provide real-time captioning, live audio description, and guided stage tours at State Theatre performances held at the AKM, where we serve as the main sponsor, making the theatre experience accessible to visually and hearing-impaired audiences.

Through this project, we enable visually impaired art enthusiasts to experience theatre in full detail by providing live audio description of non-verbal visual elements—such as setting, time, characters, and silent scenes—delivered in real time between dialogues. In addition, before the performance, we organise a special guided stage tour that describes the set and allows visually impaired visitors to explore props, costumes, and set pieces through touch where appropriate.

For audience members with hearing impairments, we provide real-time subtitles to ensure full access to the dialogue and storyline.

Over the course of 2024, we welcomed nearly 300 audience members from associations for visually- and hearing-impaired individuals, schools for the visually impaired, and disability support units at universities to these accessible performances.

Smartex Smart Exercises

At Türk Telekom, we support individuals with dyslexia through the Smartex Smart Exercises app, which is designed to ease the learning challenges caused by language-based learning disorders.

As Türkiye’s first and only app of its kind, Smartex Smart Exercises features 50 different cognitive activities and more than 300 exercises, enabling children with specific learning disabilities to meet their educational needs at their own pace and in line with their preferred learning methods. The app is available free of charge and includes modules on dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, and speech and language disorders.

We also carried out a public awareness campaign leveraging the unifying power of sports to increase understanding of dyslexia in society. On 8 October, World Dyslexia Awareness Day, Türk Telekom basketball players took the court during a game against Galatasaray wearing jerseys printed in the specially designed “Dyslexia” font and carrying a banner that read “Türk Telekom on the Court for Dyslexia Awareness,” drawing attention to the learning challenges associated with dyslexia.

EyeMo Project

We developed a new software that enables computer use through eye movement to support individuals who cannot use their hands due to neuromuscular conditions such as ALS and paralysis. As part of our pursuit of innovative solutions, we obtained a patent for the software developed through our R&D efforts and continued working on its productization and launch under the name of EyeMo.

The software enables users to control a computer and connected devices—such as lights, air conditioning, and televisions—using only eye movement, without for additional hardware like glasses or external cameras.

Accessible AKM

By supporting accessibility in culture and the arts, we continue to transform the Atatürk Cultural Centre (AKM), where we serve as the main sponsor, into an inclusive space through projects that harness technology for social good. In 2024, we continued our efforts to make AKM—a key hub of culture and the arts—an accessible venue through tailored services that remove barriers.

Our free mobile app “Sesli Adımlar” (Audio Steps), was developed as a navigation tool for visitors with visual and hearing impairments. It enables them to move independently throughout all indoor and outdoor areas of the AKM.

In 2024, through our Accessible Theatre project—run in cooperation with the General Directorate of State Theatres and Istanbul State Theatre—we made performances at the AKM accessible to visually and hearing-impaired audiences using real-time subtitles, guided stage tours, and live audio description.

To help establish AKM as a centre for inclusive living and promote broader awareness of accessibility, we organise various events and workshops throughout the year.

Awards We Received in 2024 for Our CSR Projects We once again demonstrated our commitment to social benefit and sustainability by receiving numerous prestigious awards for our corporate social responsibility projects in 2024.