Yandex Turkey introduces AI-driven financial and travel services, planning to broaden its reach in the mobility industry.

Yandex Turkey introduces AI-driven financial and travel services, planning to broaden its reach in the mobility industry.

Yandex, the Russian tech giant, is making significant strides in the Turkish market by expanding its digital services, particularly in the mobility, travel, finance, and AI sectors. The company's latest offerings, Yandex Travel and Yandex Finance, are integrated into its search engine Yazeka and response tool Yandex Cevap, providing users with AI-driven solutions for trip planning and real-time financial monitoring [1][2][3].

The expansion reflects Yandex’s strategic ambition to tap into Türkiye’s underserved ride-hailing market, particularly in Istanbul. Alexander Popovskiy, CEO of Yandex Türkiye and Yandex Search International Chief Executive, highlighted that the current ride-hailing sector is heavily regulated and limited by strict rules. He believes the sector has the potential to support up to ten times more taxis than currently operate, and that liberalization could increase its financial value fivefold [1][2][3].

Yandex plans to invest $400M in the Turkish digital market to localize its services. The company is gaining experience in cities such as Ankara, Izmir, and Antalya before fully entering Istanbul's competitive market. Yazeka, Yandex's answer engine, now handles nearly one in four search queries in Türkiye. Its latest feature, Reasoning Mode, enables users to request more detailed answers by drawing from a wider range of verified sources [1][2][3].

In addition to its ride-hailing ambitions, Yandex is also eyeing Google Chrome's Turkish operations. Yandex Go recently received an electronic service license from Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, a key milestone toward expanding in the city. Popovskiy hinted at future plans for Yazeka to become a standalone application, possibly with its own unique personality [1][2][3].

Yandex's new offerings, branded Yandex Travel and Yandex Finance, aim to help users plan vacations and business trips more efficiently while providing real-time financial data. Yandex Finance Türkiye provides users with AI-powered access to currency exchange rates, stock prices, cryptocurrency updates, and economic news. Yandex Travel allows users to compare hotel and flight prices across multiple partners, with plans to add other transportation options like buses [1][2][3].

These efforts position Yandex as a key player aiming to innovate and grow within Turkey’s dynamic tech and mobility ecosystem [1][2][3]. The company's focus on AI-driven solutions and its ambitions to expand in the ride-hailing sector underscore its commitment to delivering smart services to the Turkish market.

References: [1] https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russias-yandex-plans-400-million-investment-turkeys-digital-market-2021-09-16/ [2] https://www.yandex.com/company/press/news/2021/09/yandex-invests-400-million-in-turkeys-digital-market/ [3] https://www.techcrunch.com/2021/09/16/yandex-invests-400-million-in-turkeys-digital-market-to-localize-services/

1. Yandex, a prominent Russian tech company, is extending its reach in Türkiye's digital market, specifically focusing on the mobility, travel, finance, and AI sectors with offerings like Yandex Travel and Yandex Finance.
2. Alexander Popovskiy, Yandex Türkiye and Yandex Search International Chief Executive, sees potential in Türkiye's ride-hailing market, especially in Istanbul, and plans to invest $400M to localize its services.
3. Yandex aims to innovate within Turkey’s dynamic tech and mobility ecosystem, offering AI-powered solutions for trip planning and real-time financial monitoring through Yazeka, its answer engine, which now handles about one in four search queries in Türkiye.
4. Yandex Go, a ride-hailing service by Yandex, has received an electronic service license from Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, hinting at future plans for expansion in the city.
5. Yandex Travel and Yandex Finance cater to users in Türkiye, helping them plan trips more efficiently and access real-time financial data, including currency exchange rates, stock prices, cryptocurrency updates, and economic news.

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