News & Updates
News & Updates
Our assessments on current legislative changes, court decisions and legal developments.
Amendments to the Forest Law under Law No. 7584: Forest Cadastre, Areas of Litigation and Attorneys’ Fees
The omnibus law numbered 7584, published in the Official Gazette on 20.06.2026, introduced amendments to the Forest Law. The regulation should be carefully assessed in terms of its effects on forest cadastre results, areas of litigation opened and closed, and attorneys’ fees.
Read MoreMore than 25 Million Pending Enforcement Files: Legal and Practical Consequences for Debt Collection
According to UYAP data, as of 24.06.2026 there were 25,389,062 pending files before enforcement offices, showing that debt collection is not merely an individual problem but a systemic issue. The daily intake of approximately 20,000 new files increases the importance of the right strategy, proper documentation, and legal follow-up planning in enforcement processes.
Read MorePublicly Available Personal Data in Light of the Turkish Constitutional Court: Can It Be Processed for Any Purpose?
Personal data may be processed only where explicit consent or a ground for lawfulness prescribed by law exists. Under Article 5/2-d of the Personal Data Protection Law No. 6698 (KVKK), publicly available data does not give the data controller an unlimited scope of use; the purpose of making the data public and the principle of proportionality are decisive.
Read MoreThe Compensation Commission in Violations of the Right to Trial Within a Reasonable Time: An Effective Remedy or a New Bottleneck?
Following the Turkish Constitutional Court’s Keser Altuntaş decision, the Compensation Commission has come to the fore for violations of the right to trial within a reasonable time and certain compensation claims under CMK 141. However, although the aim of this remedy is to reduce applications to the ECtHR, without resolving structural problems, the commission mechanism itself risks becoming congested.
Read MoreBiometric Data Cannot Be Used for Employee Time Tracking: the Personal Data Protection Board’s (KVK Kurulu) Principle Decision No. 2026/921
The Personal Data Protection Board’s (KVK Kurulu) Principle Decision No. 2026/921, published in the Official Gazette dated 02.06.2026, clearly establishes that biometric data should not be used for employee time tracking. For employers, this decision requires a reassessment of KVKK compliance processes concerning attendance monitoring through fingerprint, facial recognition, and similar systems.
Read MorePrivacy Notices and Explicit Consent Texts Must Not Be Combined: What Does the Board’s Principle Decision Mean?
The Personal Data Protection Board (KVK Kurulu) has turned its individual decisions on violations arising from data controllers preparing privacy notices together with explicit consent texts into a principle decision. This decision shows that the obligation to inform and explicit consent must not be merged into the same text, and that data controllers need to review their compliance processes.
Read MoreGenetic Data After the Annulment of CMK Article 80/2: Can a Registry System Be Established?
A decision of the Turkish Constitutional Court (Anayasa Mahkemesi), published in the Official Gazette, annulled paragraph 2 of Article 80 of the Criminal Procedure Code concerning the destruction of genetic examination data. This development raises important legal questions regarding the retention, destruction and possible establishment of a genetic data registry system in criminal procedure.
Read MoreTurkish Constitutional Court Decision on Disciplinary Detention: The Scope of the Right to Request Review of a Judgment Expands
In its decision published in the Official Gazette dated 16.03.2026, the Turkish Constitutional Court (Anayasa Mahkemesi) made an important assessment regarding a defendant who was sentenced to 1 day of disciplinary detention for disrupting courtroom order. The decision is noteworthy for its broad interpretation of the concept of criminal charge in the context of interference with rights and for the scope of the right to request review of a judgment.
Read MoreDoes the Erosion of a Claim Due to Inflation Qualify as Additional Loss?
In its reversal for the benefit of the law decision numbered 2025/1704 E. and 2026/1019 K., the 5th Civil Chamber of the Court of Cassation (Yargıtay 5. Hukuk Dairesi) maintained its approach that the depreciation of a claim due to inflation does not, on its own, constitute additional loss. This assessment is important in terms of how the boundary between default interest and excess loss will be drawn in practice.
Read MoreChoosing AI for Lawyers: The Evaluation Standard Before the Tool
The question of which artificial intelligence program lawyers should use is not merely a technical preference. The real issue is whether the tools on the market meet the legal evaluation standard and whether they can be used in a manner compatible with professional responsibilities.
Read MoreMerit, Security and Violence in the Judiciary: The Legal Dimension of Institutional Trust
A prosecutor shooting a judge brings debates on merit, professional ethics, security and institutional oversight within the judicial organization back to the agenda. The incident is not merely an individual criminal case; it is also a serious indicator that must be assessed in terms of the rule of law, trust in the judiciary and the social prevalence of violence.
Read MoreCorrespondence Leaked to the Press from Investigation Files: Freedom of Communication and the Right Not to Be Stigmatized
The leaking to the press of communication content allegedly belonging to parties in criminal investigations is not merely a matter of personal privacy; it has serious consequences for freedom of communication, the protection of honor and reputation, and the right not to be stigmatized. The approach adopted by the Turkish Constitutional Court (Anayasa Mahkemesi) in the Mehmet Seyfi Oktay decision demonstrates the importance of the obligation to conduct an effective investigation into such leaks.
Read MoreSecond Hearing in the Fatih Altaylı Case: Debate on Turkish Penal Code Article 310/2, Defences and the Decision
At the second hearing in the case in which Fatih Altaylı is being tried in detention, the prosecutor’s opinion on the merits, the defences, and the elements of the offence under Article 310/2 of the Turkish Penal Code (Türk Ceza Kanunu, TCK) were discussed. The court sentenced Altaylı to 4 years and 2 months’ imprisonment and ordered the continuation of his detention.
Read MoreAutomatically Requesting a Doctor’s Report from Persons Over 65 May Constitute Age Discrimination
TİHEK considered notaries’ practice of automatically requesting medical reports from persons over 65, without any concrete, conduct-based suspicion, to constitute a violation of the prohibition of age discrimination. The decision is an important reminder regarding the autonomy, dignity and capacity of elderly individuals to carry out legal transactions.
Read MoreKVKK Practice and the Lawyer’s Role: A Legal Assessment of the Sinop Bar Association Seminar
The KVKK seminar to be organized by the Sinop Bar Association addresses the key practical topics in personal data protection law. Issues such as representation of data subjects, lawful data processing, unlawfully obtained evidence, and KVKK-related offences are of particular importance for legal practice.
Read MoreThe Appointment of Trustees to Tele1, Press Freedom, and the Debate on Judicial Ethics
The appointment of trustees to Tele1 at the very outset of the investigation and on the basis of abstract allegations raises serious debates in terms of press freedom and the principle of proportionality. The Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office’s detailed statement regarding the file must also be assessed from the perspective of judicial ethics, the presumption of innocence, and the right to a fair trial.
Read MoreDecision to Continue Detention at the Fatih Altaylı Hearing: Defenses, Requests and Interim Rulings
At the Fatih Altaylı hearing dated 03.10.2025, the court evaluated the defenses, the complainant’s counsel’s request to join the proceedings, the defense counsel’s requests for release and acquittal, and the prosecution’s opinion. The court accepted the President’s request to join the proceedings, ordered that Fatih Altaylı’s detention pending trial continue, and adjourned the hearing to 26.11.2025.
Read More2024 Turkish Commercial Code Amendments and Their Impact on Companies
Key compliance considerations for companies in light of recent legislative changes.
Read MoreLabor Law Implications of Remote Work
Employer obligations, workplace safety and contractual arrangements in remote work models.
Read MoreKVKK Compliance Process: A Current Guide
Compliance obligations and practical steps for companies under the Personal Data Protection Law.
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