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KEYDAL blog: what we learn in the field on hosting, domains, servers, security, software and press law; step-by-step guides and current notes.

Press Law

Reader Data, Memberships and Newsletters Under Turkish Data Law

A news site collects data from its readers: comments, memberships, newsletters, cookies.

September 9, 2026 · 6 min read
Press Law

Does the Privacy Notice Duty Apply to News in Turkey?

The privacy notice duty rests on the data controller, and news production and reader data processing are assessed separately.

September 9, 2026 · 6 min read
Press Law

Sanctions When a Public Body Withholds Information in Turkey

Art. 29 of Law No. 4982: disciplinary provisions apply to officials and other public servants whose negligence.

September 9, 2026 · 5 min read
Press Law

Freedom of Information Annual Reports as a Data Journalism Source in Turkey

Art. 30 of Law No. 4982: bodies prepare an annual report of application statistics and send it to the Board by the end of February; the Board submits

September 9, 2026 · 5 min read
Press Law

Requesting Declassified Documents in Turkey

Art. 28 of Law No. 4982: information or documents whose classification has been lifted become open to information requests if they do not fall within

September 9, 2026 · 5 min read
Press Law

Information Requests About Criminal Investigations in Turkey

Art. 20 of Law No. 4982: information and documents whose disclosure would lead to the commission of an offence or endanger questioning fall outside th

September 9, 2026 · 6 min read
Press Law

Trade Secret and Privacy Refusals of Information Requests in Turkey

Art. 23 of Law No. 4982 excludes trade secrets and Art. 21 the privacy of private life; Art. 21 allows disclosure in the public interest with seven da

September 9, 2026 · 6 min read
Press Law

State Secret Refusals of Information Requests in Turkey

Art. 16 of Law No. 4982: classified information and documents that would harm State security, foreign relations and national defence fall outside the

September 9, 2026 · 6 min read
Press Law

How to File a Freedom of Information Request in Turkey

Art. 6 of Law No. 4982: an application is made by a petition containing name, surname, signature and place of residence or business address.

September 9, 2026 · 6 min read
Press Law

What Journalists Can Request from Public Bodies in Turkey

Law No. 4982 applies to public institutions and to professional organisations with the character of public institutions.

September 9, 2026 · 6 min read
Press Law

Turkish Media Law: The Ancillary Legislation Map

Legal deposit, printing houses, elections, service of process, the broadcasting levy, transmission, advertising and damages: the legislation outside L

September 9, 2026 · 12 min read
Press Law

Turkish Commercial Advertising Rules for Media

Law No. 6112 defines commercial communication and sets limits for broadcasters.

September 9, 2026 · 6 min read
Press Law

Reading the Turkish Official Gazette and Entry into Force

The date and number in a legislative citation show which version of the text applies. Changes in press legislation are traced through those citations.

September 9, 2026 · 7 min read
Press Law

Journalists at Assemblies and Demonstrations in Turkey

Arts. 28 and 30 of the Constitution and Arts. 3, 12 and 22 of Law No. 5187 contain the core safeguards that shape a journalist's position at the scene

September 9, 2026 · 6 min read
Press Law

How to Challenge an Administrative Fine in Turkish Media Law

Administrative fines in press legislation are imposed by different authorities.

September 9, 2026 · 6 min read
Press Law

Electronic Communications Law and Broadcast Transmission in Turkey

Law No. 6112 refers to Electronic Communications Law No. 5809 for frequency allocation and transmission authorisation; the division of powers between

September 9, 2026 · 6 min read
Press Law

What Are Professional Press Organisations in Turkey?

Art. 4 of the Press Card Regulation defines them: the associations, foundations and unions formed by the staff, owners.

September 9, 2026 · 6 min read
Press Law

Mandatory Union Notices in Newspapers in Turkey

Press Advertising Agency Principle Decision No. 126: notices unions and confederations must publish by law count as official announcements under Art.

September 9, 2026 · 6 min read
Press Law

Publishing Opinion Polls During Elections in Turkey

Art. 55/B of Law No. 298: publishing opinion research, polls and predictions is prohibited in the ten days before polling day; outside that period thr

September 9, 2026 · 6 min read
Press Law

Penalties for Breaching Election Broadcast Bans in Turkey

Art. 151 of Law No. 298: those who make publications for that purpose after 6 p.m. on the day before polling day are punished with three months to one

September 9, 2026 · 7 min read
Press Law

How to Open a Printing House in Turkey

Printing Houses Law No. 5681 makes opening a printing house subject to a declaration.

September 9, 2026 · 6 min read
Press Law

Press Law Delivery Versus Legal Deposit in Turkey

Art. 2 of Law No. 6279 says it plainly: copies given under the Press Law and the Printing Houses Law fall outside legal deposit.

September 9, 2026 · 7 min read
Press Law

Are Legal Deposit Copies Tax Deductible in Turkey?

Art. 12 of Law No. 6279: the cost price of works given as deposit copies is taken into account as an expense in determining profit.

September 9, 2026 · 5 min read
Press Law

Penalty for Breaching the Legal Deposit Duty in Turkey

Art. 10 of Law No. 6279: an administrative fine is applied for each copy, by the highest civil administrator of the place where the deposit is made.

September 9, 2026 · 6 min read
Press Law

How Many Legal Deposit Copies and Where They Go in Turkey

Art. 8 of Law No. 6279: six copies as a rule; local and regional newspapers send two, to the National Library and the public library of the province o

September 9, 2026 · 6 min read
Press Law

Who Is Liable for Legal Deposit in Turkey?

Art. 3 of Law No. 6279: the natural or legal person obliged to give the deposit copies to the legal deposit directorate or to the legal deposit units.

September 9, 2026 · 6 min read
Press Law

Turkish Legal Deposit Law: The Mandatory Copy Obligation

Law No. 6279 requires reproduced intellectual and artistic works to be sent to designated libraries.

September 9, 2026 · 6 min read
Press Law

Starting a Media Outlet in Turkey: The Complete Guide

Everything about starting a newspaper, magazine, news site, news agency, radio or television station: declaration, imprint, responsible editor, delive

September 9, 2026 · 13 min read
Press Law

Remedies When a Newspaper's Distribution Is Blocked in Turkey

Art. 23 of Law No. 5187 caps the distribution fee and frees the retailer; Art. 22 ties blocking distribution by violence or threat to imprisonment.

September 9, 2026 · 7 min read
Press Law

Can a Turkish Newspaper Be Seized?

Art. 25 of Law No. 5187: a prosecutor may seize at most three copies as evidence; seizing the whole print run is possible only for the listed offences

September 9, 2026 · 7 min read
Press Law

When Can Publication Be Suspended in Turkey?

Art. 8 of Law No. 5187: if a declaration deficiency is not cured, the prosecutor asks the criminal court of first instance to suspend publication.

September 9, 2026 · 7 min read
Press Law

Do You Need Permission for a Student Newspaper in Turkey?

No permission is needed under Art. 29 of the Constitution and Art. 7 of Law No. 5187. But the responsible editor must be 18.

September 9, 2026 · 6 min read
Press Law

Do Newsletters and House Magazines Need a Declaration in Turkey?

Art. 6 of Law No. 5187 allows public institutions to own periodicals; a bulletin published at particular intervals falls within Art. 2/c and becomes s

September 9, 2026 · 6 min read
Press Law

Is an Annual Publication a Periodical in Turkey?

The measure in Art. 2 of Law No. 5187 is "publication at particular intervals"; the interval may be a year.

September 9, 2026 · 6 min read
Press Law

What Publication Interval Makes a Magazine a Periodical in Turkey?

Art. 2/c of Law No. 5187 defines a periodical as works "published at particular intervals"; the Law sets no minimum frequency.

September 9, 2026 · 6 min read
Press Law

Is a Turkish Newspaper Free to Set Its Cover Price?

No provision sets the price; but Art. 15 of the Press Card Regulation requires "offering for sale at market price" and Art. 23 of Law No. 5187 caps th

September 9, 2026 · 6 min read
Press Law

Minimum Page Count for a Turkish Newspaper

There is no general minimum page count in the legislation. Page count is one of the three multipliers in the surface area formula that sets the press

September 9, 2026 · 6 min read
Press Law

Must a Newspaper Be Printed Where It Is Published in Turkey?

Arts. 17, 45 and 75 of Agency Decision No. 67 require printing within the place of publication; Principle Decision No. 141 relaxes that condition.

September 9, 2026 · 6 min read
Press Law

Does a Digital Press Count as a Printing House in Turkey?

Press Advertising Agency Principle Decision No. 176: no type of desktop digital printing machine has the character of a printing house press.

September 9, 2026 · 7 min read
Press Law

Must a Turkish Newspaper Be Printed at a Printing House?

Art. 15/f of the Press Card Regulation requires that it "has not been reproduced by methods other than a printing house"; Art. 5 of Agency Decision No

September 9, 2026 · 7 min read
Press Law

Can a Publication Type Be Changed Later in Turkey?

For a periodical the type is shown on the declaration and a change is notified within two weeks under Art. 8 of Law No. 5187. In broadcasting the type

September 9, 2026 · 6 min read
Press Law

National, Regional and Local Publication Types in Turkey

Art. 2 of Law No. 5187: a national publication covers at least 70 per cent of the country with at least one province in every geographical region; reg

September 9, 2026 · 7 min read
Press Law

What to Notify When a Turkish Newspaper Closes

Art. 9 of Law No. 5187: a declaration becomes void if publication is interrupted for three years.

September 9, 2026 · 7 min read
Press Law

Changing the Domain of a Turkish News Site

On an internet news site the domain is tied to the name on the declaration and to the imprint; a change is notified within two weeks under Art. 8 of L

September 9, 2026 · 6 min read
Press Law

Can a Turkish Newspaper Change Its Name?

Art. 8 of Law No. 5187: every change in the content of the declaration is notified to the same authority within two weeks by a new declaration.

September 9, 2026 · 6 min read
Press Law

How to Get a VOD Licence in Turkey

Arts. 19 and 29/A of Law No. 6112: an on-demand broadcasting service needs a company formed exclusively for the purpose and an RTUK licence; one compa

September 9, 2026 · 7 min read
Press Law

Are Podcasts Regulated by RTUK in Turkey?

The word "podcast" does not appear in Law No. 6112. The measure is whether the activity is a broadcasting service - specifically an on-demand service

September 9, 2026 · 7 min read
Press Law

Do You Need an RTUK Licence to Stream Online in Turkey?

Art. 29/A of Law No. 6112: media service providers wishing to offer radio, television and on-demand broadcasting services solely over the internet mus

September 9, 2026 · 7 min read