The Implications Of The EU AI Act For Turkish Companies

The Board’s first decision clarifies which sectors will be treated as critical infrastructure under Cybersecurity Law No. 7545 in Türkiye.

Generative artificial intelligence (“AI”) tools have become part of day-to-day legal practice in many jurisdictions. From summarising contracts and lengthy decisions to preparing first drafts of correspondence and supporting legal research, these tools now assist lawyers at many stages of their work. As their use becomes more widespread, the focus is increasingly shifting from whether AI should have a place in legal practice to the conditions under which it can be used consistently with lawyers’ professional obligations.

The Presidential Circular dated 17.08.2026 and numbered 2026/9 (the “Circular”), published in the Official Gazette dated 18.08.2026 and numbered 33344, has put into effect the Türkiye Artificial Intelligence Action Plan (2026–2030) (the “Action Plan”), which sets out Türkiye’s roadmap for artificial intelligence policies for the 2026–2030 period. The Action Plan has also been published on the official website of the Ministry of Industry and Technology.

The Regulation Amending the Regulation on Payment Services and Electronic Money Issuance and Payment Service Providers, published in the Official Gazette dated 04.09.2026 and numbered 33360, introduced an amendment concerning the identity verification methods that payment service providers may use in remote customer onboarding.

Presidential Circular No. 2026/9, dated 17 August 2026, was published in the Official Gazette on 18 August 2026. The Circular requires public institutions and organisations to carry out the necessary work and provide the support needed to implement the Türkiye Artificial Intelligence Action Plan (the “Plan”), which sets out Türkiye’s artificial intelligence roadmap for the 2026–2030 period.

Sanayi ve Teknoloji Bakanlığı (“Bakanlık”) tarafından 18 Ağustos 2026 tarihinde yayımlanan 2026–2030 Türkiye Yapay Zekâ Eylem Planı (“Eylem Planı”), Türkiye'nin yapay zekâ ekosistemini kapsayıcı bir hukuki, teknik ve ekonomik çerçevede yapılandırmayı hedefleyen 16 öncelikli eylemi ortaya koymaktadır. “Fark Et”, “İstifade Et”, “Üret” ve “Yönet” şeklinde dört temel eksen üzerine inşa edilen Eylem Planı; insan odaklılık, etik sorumluluk, güvenilirlik, sürdürülebilir kalkınma ve dijital egemenlik ilkelerini benimsemektedir.

The European Union Artificial Intelligence Act ("AI Act") was published in the Official Journal of the European Union ("EU") on July 12, 2024...

We are living in an era in which digitalization is accelerating and Artificial Intelligence ("AI") technologies are reshaping both societal and professional practices.

Published on 18 August 2026 by the Ministry of Industry and Technology (“Ministry”), the 2026–2030 AI Action Plan of Türkiye (“Action Plan”) sets out 16 priority actions aimed at structuring Türkiye's artificial intelligence ecosystem within a comprehensive legal, technical, and economic framework.

The 2030 National Smart Cities Strategy and Action Plan (“Action Plan”) was put into effect by Presidential Circular No. 2026/11 dated 18.09.2026 (“Circular”), published in the Official Gazette dated 19.09.2026 and numbered 33375.

The Turkish Competition Board (the “Board”) has imposed interim measures on Meta Platforms, Inc., Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, WhatsApp LLC and Meta Platforms İstanbul Bilişim Hizmetleri Limited Şirketi (collectively, “Meta”) in connection with amendment to the WhatsApp Business Solution Terms that barred third-party general-purpose generative AI chatbots and assistants from using WhatsApp where AI was the primary service offered to users.

Recent amendments have been introduced to Law No. 5651 on the Regulation of Broadcasts via the Internet and Combating Crimes Committed Through Such Broadcasts (Law No. 5651) through the Law on Amendments to the Social Services Law and Certain Laws, which was published on 1 May 2026. For the first time under Turkish legislation, the concepts of game platform, game distributor, and game developer have been expressly defined. In addition, new online safety obligations have been imposed on social network providers.

On July 10, 2023, the European Union ("EU")-United States of America ("US") adequacy decision for adequate level of protection regarding the transfer of personal data under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework ("DPF") was formally adopted by the European Commission.

Serbest fonlar başta olmak üzere yatırım fonlarının fiili dolaşımdaki pay oranı düşük şirketlerde oluşturdukları yoğunlaşma sebebiyle piyasada oluşan yapısal risklerin giderilmesi amacıyla SPK, hem bu oranın hesaplanmasına ilişkin kuralları hem de yatırım fonlarının yatırım sınırlamalarını yeniden ve detaylı şekilde düzenlemiştir. Bu yazıda özellikle fiili dolaşımdaki pay oranına ilişkin değerlendirmelerimize yer verilmiştir.

Investment commitments are gaining attention as a novel approach to merger control, reflecting a global shift in how competition authorities assess the long-term effects of the transactions.

The Presidential Decree, amending Decree No. 32 on the Protection of the Value of Turkish Currency ...

Crypto assets and their underlying technologies are reshaping the global financial system. Yet the legal nature of crypto assets, their economic implications, and the risks they pose to financial stability have led states to adopt markedly different regulatory approaches. Despite sharing similar economic structures and a common ambition to position themselves as financial hubs, the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (the Gulf Cooperation Council) (GCC) countries have not converged on a uniform regulatory framework for crypto assets.

In a preliminary investigation decision dated 26 February 2026, the Turkish Competition Board (the “Board”) accepted and rendered binding a set of commitments offered by VF Vize Danışmanlık Hizmetleri Ticaret Limited Şirketi (“VF Vize”) to address competition concerns arising from preferential access to visa appointments granted to Camelot Air Travel Turizm ve Ticaret Anonim Şirketi (“Camelot”), a travel agency affiliated with VF Vize’s subcontractor, Gateway Management Lojistik Anonim Şirketi (“Gateway”).

Türk usul hukukunda genel ilke, kanunda aksi öngörülmedikçe, usule ilişkin sürelerin tebliğ ile başlamasıdır. Hukuk Muhakemeleri Kanunu (HMK), İdari Yargılama Usulü Kanunu ve çeşitli diğer kanunlar uyarınca, taraflara yönelik usul işlemlerine ilişkin kanuni süreler, kararın veya ilgili işlemin usulüne uygun şekilde tebliğ edildiği tarihten itibaren işlemeye başlar.

The Regulation on Duty Free Shops "Regulation") was published in the Official Gazette numbered 30148 and dated 8 August 2017 and abolished the former Regulation on Duty Free Shops...