The KVKK Compliance Process For Companies In Turkey

1. Introduction

As digitalization gains momentum, companies are processing more and more personal data about their employees, customers, suppliers, and business partners every day. This situation has made it imperative to establish a comprehensive compliance mechanism to ensure that personal data is processed in a lawful, secure, and transparent manner.

In this context, the fundamental legal framework for the protection of personal data in Turkey was established by the Personal Data Protection Law No. 6698 (“KVKK”), which entered into force on April 7, 2016. The KVKK adopts many principles aligned with the European Union’s data protection approach and imposes an obligation on companies to ensure their data processing operations comply with the law.