Turkish mobile operator Turkcell has come out in support of Huawei, saying the Chinese equipment maker is “a reliable business partner and the partnership is set to continue”. In the face of concerns in several countries of the security of data transferred over Huawei-built networks, Turkcell said the “problem is not just about personal data privacy, it’s also about just ‘a couple of global companies’ desire to stay in power”.

In a statement, Turkcell CEO Kaan Terzioglu said that security vulnerability claims against Huawei should not be viewed in isolation and are related to other issues of competition and innovation. “It wouldn’t be right to evaluate Huawei’s current situation by ignoring the competition in the smart phone market and the conflict of which company will lead 5G,” he said. Noting that another smartphone company faced “unfavorable news” last year, the CEO suggested that the claims against Huawei may be motivated also by its growing market share. “As you can see, whenever an ‘unexpected’ company gets ahead, they are confronted,” Terzioglu said.

The CEO add that his company should not be expected to act on “uncorroborated claims” and Turkcell will continue to work with its long-term partner Huawei.