Recent Development
The Turkish Data Protection Board’s (“Board”) principle decision dated 29 April 2026 and numbered 2026/921 on the Processing of Biometric Data for Attendance Tracking Purposes (“Principle Decision”) was published in the Official Gazette dated 2 June 2026 and numbered 33268.
In the Principle Decision, the Board evaluates the reports and complaints submitted to the Authority regarding the use of biometric recognition systems for the purposes of digitising employee attendance tracking and enhancing security.
What Does the Decision Say?
The Board states that biometric data such as fingerprints, facial recognition data, and iris and retina scans constitute a special risk area under personal data protection law, given their sensitive nature and irreversible character. The Principle Decision also refers to the definition of biometric data under the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), recalling that such data are personal data resulting from specific technical
