Turkey: Technology

On 2 August 2026, Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (the “EU AI Act” or “Act”) became generally applicable. Although Türkiye is not subject to the EU AI Act, the Act’s extraterritorial reach covers a broad spectrum of Turkish companies, ranging from software vendors and outsourcing providers to industrial manufacturers that integrate AI into products exported to the EU market.

On 27 July 2026, the Ministry of Trade announced comprehensive amendments to the Regulation on Commercial Advertising and Unfair Commercial Practices, entering into force on 1 August 2026. The updated framework introduces strict rules on targeted advertising, requiring advertisers to inform consumers about the criteria used to display targeted ads and how to modify them.

On 7 July 2026, the European Commission presented an EU Action Plan on Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence to address cybersecurity risks arising from advanced AI models while promoting their use for cyber defence.

A question once confined to works of science fiction is now knocking on the courtroom door: how, and within what limits, may judges, prosecutors, or expert witnesses make use of artificial intelligence? The fact that a commercial court in Istanbul openly acknowledged, in the reasoning of its judgment,1 that it had made use of artificial intelligence has taken this question out of the theoretical realm and turned it into a live issue for the Turkish judiciary.

Bir zamanlar yalnızca bilim kurgu eserlerinin konusu olan bir soru, artık mahkeme salonlarının kapısını çalmaktadır: Hakimler, savcılar veya bilirkişiler yapay zekadan ne şekilde ve hangi sınırlar içinde yararlanabilir? İstanbul’da bir ticaret mahkemesinin gerekçeli kararında1 yapay zekadan yararlandığını açıkça belirtmesi, bu soruyu teorik olmaktan çıkararak Türk yargısının güncel bir meselesi haline getirmiştir.

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.

The Communiqué Amending the Communiqué on Information Systems of Payment and Electronic Money Institutions and Data Sharing Services of Payment Service Providers in the Field of Payment Services (the “Amending Communiqué”), published in the Official Gazette dated 04.09.2026 and numbered 33360, introduced significant amendments to remote identification processes.

04.09.2026 tarihli ve 33360 sayılı Resmî Gazete’de yayımlanan Ödeme Hizmetleri ve Elektronik Para İhracı ile Ödeme Hizmeti Sağlayıcıları Hakkında Yönetmelikte Değişiklik Yapılmasına Dair Yönetmelik (“Değişiklik Yönetmeliği”) ile ödeme hizmeti sağlayıcılarının uzaktan müşteri ediniminde uygulayabilecekleri kimlik doğrulama yöntemlerine ilişkin değişiklik yapılmıştır.

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.