Is Turkey switching from Windows to Linux?
Yes, in parts of the public sector. Turkey’s research council TÜBİTAK develops Pardus, a Debian-based Linux system, as part of a national software push. The Presidency of Religious Affairs agreed to move 10,000 computers to it and the Ministry of Health began a gradual migration. Windows remains common elsewhere.
- Announced
- Pilot
- Rolling out
- Widely deployed
Scope: Selected ministries and public bodies. Updated Oct 6, 2026.
What operating system does Turkish public sector use?
- Pardus
Debian-based national Linux developed under TÜBİTAK BİLGEM; version 25.0 was released in November 2025.
Turkey’s Linux timeline
- Oct 2024
The Pardus project moves under the TÜBİTAK BİLGEM Software Technologies Research Institute.
- Recent
The Presidency of Religious Affairs signs a protocol to extend Pardus to 10,000 computers; the Ministry of Health begins a gradual migration at its health-information directorate.
- Nov 2025
Pardus 25.0 is released.
What is still unclear
This is a general picture, not a measurement.
- Deployment counts come from the agencies’ own announcements; there is no published national total.
- Many Turkish public bodies and nearly all consumers still use Windows.
Could Turkey switch to Linux in the future?
What to watch next:
- More ministries signing Pardus protocols
- Municipalities following the call to move to Pardus
Sources
Turkey: common questions
Is Turkey switching to Linux?
Parts of its public sector are. TÜBİTAK’s Pardus, a Debian-based Linux, is being rolled out at bodies such as the Presidency of Religious Affairs and the Ministry of Health.
What is Pardus?
Pardus is Turkey’s national Linux distribution, developed with state support by TÜBİTAK and based on Debian.
Other countries
Want to try it yourself? Read how to switch from Windows to Linux.