Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan who had earlier said no to crypto has an interest in the metaverse. He has called on leaders from the ruling Ak Party to discuss the metaverse, with Erdoğan urging for more investigation.
According to a Daily Sabah newspaper, Erdoğan has ordered the Ak Party to research the metaverse, cryptocurrencies, and how transactions are done using them.
At a meeting on Jan. 25, party leaders were told to look into the issue, which might have far-reaching implications in the future. The economic elements of the metaverse, cryptocurrency, and social media are expected to be discussed in a forum hosted by the ruling party later this year.
Turkey and the Metaverse
The metaverse is gaining popularity in Turkey. Thousands of virtual lands in Turkey have already been purchased on game-based metaverse platforms, according to certain reports, the majority of which are located in the historic former capital of Istanbul.
Ak Parti olarak #Metaverse üzerinden ilk toplantımızı gerçekleştirdik. pic.twitter.com/19Xfd6sIWR
— AK Parti Bilgi İletişim Teknolojileri (@AKbilgitek) January 17, 2022
The Turkish government held a metaverse meeting to explore cryptocurrency regulations lately. “I believe that metaverse-based meetings will be improved quickly and become an essential part of our lives,” said Mustafa Elitaş, chairman of Turkey’s Grand National Assembly.
War on Cryptocurrencies
While the Turkish government is receptive to blockchain technology, the metaverse, and a state-issued digital currency, President Erdoğan is well-known for his anti-crypto sentiment. He “declared war” on cryptocurrencies during a public Q&A session last year, implying that the country had no interest in adopting them.
