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KVKK

Law on the Protection of Personal Data No. 6698

In force privacy
WhenIn effect since 7 April 2016
Who enforces itPersonal Data Protection Authority (KVKK) and Personal Data Protection Board
Who it applies toNatural and legal persons that process personal data of natural persons wholly or partly by automated means, or non-automated means forming part of a filing system.
Tell the regulatorNotify the Board as soon as possible, interpreted by the Board as within 72 hours of discovery… DPO requiredNo DPO requirement RegistrationControllers must register in VERBIS before processing, unless exempt (under 50 employees and u… Transfers abroadNeeds a Board adequacy decision Request deadline30 days, free of charge unless extra cost is incurred under the Board tariff Maximum fineAdministrative fines up to TRY 17,092,242 per violation in 2026, revalued each year

KVKK is GDPR-inspired but keeps a public controller registry (VERBIS) with filed data inventories, and requires breach notice to individuals in every case. Since 2024, transfers abroad work on adequacy, Board-approved safeguards or Board-issued standard contracts that must be filed within five business days.

71% coveredif you already meet GDPR. 6 requirements to work on.See the gap → 2 of 21requirements scored most demanding, each cited to the law.See all 21 → 36 sectionsindexed by topic, each linked to the official text.Read section by section →

The Association's practitioner brief for this law is on the way; the priority laws come first.

Read the official text

Recent developments

Nothing reported yet. Regulatory Watch lists new rules, enforcement and court decisions as they arrive.

Sources

  • Regulator Personal Data Protection Authority (KVKK) and Personal Data Protection Board · Official text or regulator
  • Text of the law Turkish (official); the Authority's English translation is unofficial · Official text or regulator

Dates and status checked against these sources on 18 October 2026. This page explains the law for practitioners; it is not legal advice.

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