Digital divide reflections on regional development disparities in Türkiye

Gülfiye Özcan Alp; Tüzin Baycan

doi:10.1080/02681102.2024.2303579

Digital divide reflections on regional development disparities in Türkiye

Gülfiye Özcan Alp^*, Tüzin Baycan

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Urban and Regional Planning

Istanbul Technical University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This paper addresses the ‘Digital Divide' concerning disparities in adopting information and communication technologies (ICTs) at the regional level in Türkiye. Acknowledging the multiscale dimension of the digital divide, two main research questions are addressed: (1) Is there a digital divide between regions in Türkiye? If so, (2) How does the digital divide affect the development disparities in Türkiye? The ICT Development Index (IDI) and Socio-Economic Development Index (SEDI) are utilized together to answer these questions. Results reveal a positive correlation between them and significant discrepancies between Türkiye‘s eastern and western regions. Remarkably, the digitalization gap is narrower than the socio-economic development gap. The findings suggest that while digital technologies have diffused rapidly in Türkiye, their socio-economic benefits have been absorbed more slowly. This study aims to contribute to the literature on the digital divide and information and communication technology for development (ICT4D) at the regional level, providing insights for policymakers to address regional digital inequalities in Türkiye.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	608-625
Number of pages	18
Journal	Information Technology for Development
Volume	30
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/02681102.2024.2303579
Publication status	Published - 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 Commonwealth Secretariat.

Funding

This study is based on Gülfiye Özcan Alp’s doctoral dissertation titled, ‘A Search for A Smart Sustainable City: Overcoming Digital Divide’ supervised by Prof. Dr. Tuzin Baycan and supported by 100/2000 CoHE Doctoral program. Earlier versions of this study were presented at the 20th National Regional Science and Planning Congress, Türkiye, Erzincan Binali Yıldırım University, 20–21 May,2021 and at the 61st European Regional Science Association (ERSA) Congress, University of Pécs, Hungary, 22–26 August, 2022.

Keywords

Digital divide
ICT development index
ICT4D
Türkiye
information and communication technologies
regional development

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1080/02681102.2024.2303579

Cite this

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Digital divide reflections on regional development disparities in Türkiye

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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