Turkish press law is not a field gathered into a single statute. A newspaper's imprint is governed by Article 4 of Press Law No. 5187; the overtime of a reporter at that same newspaper by Additional Article 1 of Law No. 5953; product placement on the same group's television channel by Article 13 of Law No. 6112; and the price of an official advertisement by the Official Advertisement Price Tariff brought into force each year by Presidential Decision. This glossary collects, one by one, the 120 terms you are most likely to meet in practice, and states next to each one which text it comes from.
The terms are grouped by subject, and each group has its own table. The left-hand column gives the term, the middle column an explanation that stays faithful to the definition in the legislation, and the right-hand column the provision it rests on. When looking up a term, first decide which type of publication you are dealing with: a printed periodical, an internet news site, or radio and television. The same word can mean different things in different statutes. Turkish terms are given in brackets where a foreign reader will meet them in practice.
How to use the glossary
Three definition provisions form the backbone of this field: Article 2 of Law No. 5187 defines the concepts of the print press and internet news sites, Article 3 of Law No. 6112 the radio and television concepts, and Article 4 of the Press Card Regulation the concepts used in press cards and quota calculations. The tables below use the official definitions in these three provisions first.
- Once you have seen the basis of a term, look at the full text of the relevant article; the table is a summary.
- Where the same word appears in two statutes, read both rows (for example: responsible editor, seniority, regional publication).
- Under Articles 2(o) and 2(ö) of Law No. 5187, the terms 'the Head' (Başkan) and 'the Directorate' (Başkanlık) in the text of the Law mean the Head of the Directorate of Communications and the Directorate of Communications; that body is the addressee of press card applications.
- Numerical thresholds (quotas, tariffs, amounts of fines) change frequently; this glossary gives you the concept — verify the current figure against the official text.
- The fines in the texts of the laws are written in the old Turkish lira used up to and including 2004; the current amounts are determined by the revaluation rate.
Core concepts and statutory definitions
This whole group comes from the definition subparagraphs in Article 2 of Press Law No. 5187. Law No. 7418 of 13/10/2022 added the definitions of internet news site, media member and information officer to that article, and broadened the definition of periodical.
| Term | Definition | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Printed work (<i>basılmış eser</i>) | Writings, pictures and similar works printed by any means of printing or reproduced by other means for publication, together with the output of news agencies. | 5187 Art. 2(a) |
| Publication (<i>yayım</i>) | The making available of a printed work to the public in any manner. | 5187 Art. 2(b) |
| Periodical (<i>süreli yayın</i>) | Printed works such as newspapers and magazines published at set intervals, together with the output of news agencies and internet news sites. | 5187 Art. 2(c) |
| National periodical (<i>yaygın süreli yayın</i>) | A periodical printed under the same title by a single press organisation and published in at least seventy per cent of the country, including at least one province in every geographical region, together with the output of news agencies. | 5187 Art. 2(d) |
| Regional periodical (<i>bölgesel süreli yayın</i>) | A periodical printed by a single press organisation and published in at least three neighbouring provinces or in at least one geographical region. | 5187 Art. 2(e) |
| Local periodical (<i>yerel süreli yayın</i>) | Periodicals published in a single locality, together with national and regional publications appearing at weekly or longer intervals. | 5187 Art. 2(f) |
| Type of publication (<i>yayın türü</i>) | Which of the national, regional and local categories a periodical falls within. | 5187 Art. 2(g) |
| Non-periodical (<i>süresiz yayın</i>) | Printed works such as books and gift editions that are not published at set intervals. | 5187 Art. 2(h) |
| Author of the work (<i>eser sahibi</i>) | The person who writes or translates the text or news item making up the content of a periodical or non-periodical, produces the picture or cartoon, or records or edits the visual or audio content. | 5187 Art. 2(ı) |
| Publisher (<i>yayımcı</i>) | The natural or legal person who turns a work into a printed work and publishes it. | 5187 Art. 2(j) |
| Printer (<i>basımcı</i>) | The natural or legal person who prints a work by means of printing or reproduces it by other means. | 5187 Art. 2(k) |
| Representative of the legal person (<i>tüzel kişi temsilcisi</i>) | Where the owner of the publication or the publisher is a legal person, the natural person designated from among the managers by the competent organ of that legal person; in public institutions, the natural person designated by the institution. | 5187 Art. 2(l) |
| Internet news site (<i>internet haber sitesi</i>) | A periodical established and operated for the purpose of presenting written, visual or audio content in the nature of news or comment at set intervals in the internet environment. | 5187 Art. 2(m) |
| Media member (<i>medya mensubu</i>) | Employees of radio, television and periodicals who carry out press and broadcasting activity. This is the definition that identifies the group of people entitled to request a press card, and the application is made to the Directorate of Communications. | 5187 Art. 2(r); Additional Art. 1 |
| Information officer (<i>enformasyon görevlisi</i>) | Public personnel working in the State information services carried out by public institutions and organisations. Like media members, they may request a press card from the Directorate of Communications. | 5187 Art. 2(s); Additional Art. 2(e) |
| Periodical publication, classical term (<i>mevkute</i>) | The classical term used for a periodical. For official advertisement purposes, <i>mevkute</i> means newspapers and magazines published under the provisions of the Press Law and printed in printing houses that have filed a declaration under the Printing Houses Law. | Definition: Art. 5 of BİK General Assembly Decision No. 67 (as reproduced in Principle Decision No. 176). The term is used in Art. 1 of Law No. 5953 and in Law No. 5187, but is not defined in those statutes. |
The print press and how a periodical operates
These terms set out the chain from the founding of a periodical through to its regime of liability. For the practical application of the declaration and imprint steps, see our guide to the periodical publication declaration.
| Term | Definition | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Freedom of the press (<i>basın özgürlüğü</i>) | A freedom comprising the rights to acquire and disseminate information, to criticise, to comment and to create works. Its constitutional expression is the rule that the press is free and may not be censored. | 5187 Art. 3; Constitution Art. 28 |
| Imprint / mandatory particulars (<i>künye</i>) | In every printed work: the place and date of printing, the names, titles and business addresses of the printer and, if any, the publisher; in periodicals, additionally the place of management, the owner, the representative, the responsible editor and the type of publication. | 5187 Art. 4 |
| Responsible editor (<i>sorumlu müdür</i>) | A person who must be present at every periodical: over eighteen, resident in Turkey, at least a secondary school graduate and not convicted of certain offences. | 5187 Art. 5 |
| Owner of a periodical (<i>süreli yayın sahibi</i>) | Natural and legal persons and public institutions and organisations that may own a periodical; where the owner is a minor or under legal incapacity, the conditions in Article 5(2) are sought in the legal representative, and where the owner is a legal person, in its representative. | 5187 Art. 6 |
| Declaration (<i>beyanname</i>) | The notification filed with the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office of the place of the seat of management in order to publish a periodical. It is a notification procedure, not a permit; the records are public. | 5187 Art. 7; Constitution Art. 29 |
| Receipt certificate (<i>alındı belgesi</i>) | The document issued by the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office upon filing of the declaration. It is also required under the Press Card Regulation as evidence of the conditions applying to a media organisation. | 5187 Art. 7; Press Card Regulation Arts. 15, 18 |
| Suspension of publication (<i>yayımın durdurulması</i>) | An order given by the criminal court of first instance on the application of the chief public prosecutor where a deficiency in the declaration is not remedied within two weeks. It does not apply to internet news sites. | 5187 Art. 8 |
| Loss of the right to publish (<i>yayın hakkının kaybedilmesi</i>) | The lapse of the declaration where no publication appears within one year of the date of the declaration, or where publication is interrupted for three years after it has begun. | 5187 Art. 9 |
| Duty to deposit copies (<i>teslim yükümlülüğü</i>) | The printer's duty to deliver two signed copies of every publication printed to the local Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on the day of distribution or publication. | 5187 Art. 10 |
| Protection of journalistic sources (<i>haber kaynağının korunması</i>) | The rule that the owner of a periodical, the responsible editor and the author of the work may not be compelled to disclose any news source, including information and documents, or to give evidence on the subject. | 5187 Art. 12 |
| Right of correction and reply (<i>düzeltme ve cevap hakkı</i>) | Where a publication infringes a person's honour and dignity or is untrue about a person, the right of the injured party to send a correction or reply text within two months of the date of publication. | 5187 Art. 14; Constitution Art. 32; 6112 Art. 18 |
| Duty to distribute (<i>dağıtım yükümlülüğü</i>) | The obligation on distributors of periodicals to distribute the publications they are asked to distribute at a price not exceeding the distribution fee they charge for other publications. | 5187 Art. 23 |
Internet news sites
Law No. 7418 brought internet news sites within the scope of Law No. 5187; the provisions on the imprint, content retention and correction were tailored to this type of publication. For the practical application, see our imprint template and our legal compliance checklist.
| Term | Definition | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Law No. 7418 | A law of 13/10/2022 which entered into force on 18/10/2022. It amended Articles 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 21, 26 and 27 of Law No. 5187 and added the press card regime in Additional Articles 1-8. | For its effect on Law No. 5187: Arts. 1-27, Additional Arts. 1-8, Provisional Art. 4 |
| Determination that internet news site status has not been acquired (<i>internet haber sitesi vasfının tespiti</i>) | Where a deficiency in the declaration is not remedied, the chief public prosecutor asks the criminal court of first instance to determine that the status of internet news site has not been acquired. If granted, the right to official advertisements and announcements, and the employees' press card rights, cease to exist. | 5187 Art. 8 |
| Electronic notification address (<i>elektronik tebligat adresi</i>) | The notification address that must be stated in the declaration. It was added to the content of the declaration by Law No. 7418. | 5187 Art. 7 |
| Hosting provider information (<i>yer sağlayıcı bilgisi</i>) | The name and address of the hosting provider, which must appear in an internet news site's imprint. | 5187 Art. 4 |
| Contact heading (<i>iletişim başlığı</i>) | The requirement that an internet news site's imprint details be kept under a contact heading, in a manner directly accessible to users from the home page. | 5187 Art. 4 |
| Content publication and update date (<i>içerik yayım ve güncelleme tarihi</i>) | The requirement that the date on which the content was first made available and any subsequent update dates be stated on the content itself, in a way that does not change each time it is accessed. | 5187 Art. 4 |
| Retention of content (<i>içeriklerin muhafazası</i>) | The requirement to retain published content for two years, with its accuracy and integrity assured, for delivery to a chief public prosecutor's office that requests it. Where a judicial notification is served, retention continues indefinitely. | 5187 Art. 10 |
| Correction with a URL link (<i>URL bağlantılı düzeltme</i>) | On internet news sites, the correction or reply must be published within one day at the latest of receipt of the text, on the same page and columns as the publication concerned, in the same type size, with a URL link provided. | 5187 Art. 14 |
| Date of the criminal complaint (<i>suç ihbarı tarihi</i>) | For internet news sites, the starting point of the period for bringing a criminal action; time runs from the date on which the criminal complaint about the news item was made. | 5187 Art. 26 |
The journalist's employment relationship (Law No. 5953)
Journalists are governed not by Labour Code No. 4857 but by Law No. 5953; the main restructuring that produced today's version of that statute was carried out by Law No. 212 of 4/1/1961. For the contract text see our employment contract template compliant with Law No. 5953, and for calculating compensation see our severance and notice pay calculation.
| Term | Definition | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Journalist (<i>gazeteci</i>) | A person working for remuneration in the intellectual and artistic work falling within the scope of the Law. The scope comprises newspapers, internet news sites, periodicals and news and photograph agencies. | 5953 Art. 1 |
| Intellectual worker (<i>fikir işçisi</i>) | A person working for a wage in intellectual and artistic work who falls outside the definition of 'worker' in the Labour Code; this is the type of employee to whom Law No. 5953 is addressed. | 5953 Art. 1 |
| Written contract (<i>yazılı mukavele</i>) | The written contract that is mandatory between a journalist and an employer. It must state the nature of the work, the amount of the wage and the journalist's seniority. | 5953 Art. 4 |
| Promotion (<i>terfi</i>) | A journalist who has worked at a newspaper for two years earns the right to promotion; the promotion is made at the percentage rate set out in the contract. | 5953 Art. 4 |
| Seniority (<i>kıdem</i>) | The period calculated from the date the journalist first entered the profession. The basis is total service in the profession, not the period spent with the same employer. | 5953 Arts. 6, 21 |
| Severance pay (<i>kıdem tazminatı</i>) | Compensation of one month's wage, based on the last monthly salary, for each year of service or part thereof to which the contract terminated by notice relates. It is not calculated for the first year of the contract. | 5953 Art. 6 |
| Notice period (<i>ihbar süresi</i>) | The period of written notice the employer must observe on termination: three months at five years' seniority or more, one month at less than five years. Where the journalist terminates, it is at least one month. | 5953 Arts. 6, 7 |
| Termination with payment in lieu (<i>peşin ödemeli fesih</i>) | The ability to terminate the contract immediately by paying in advance the compensation corresponding to the notice period. | 5953 Art. 5 |
| Probationary period (<i>tecrübe müddeti</i>) | A trial period of at most three months for journalists entering the profession for the first time; during that period either party may terminate without being subject to notice periods or compensation. | 5953 Art. 10 |
| Trainee quota (<i>stajyer kotası</i>) | The rule that the number of trainees may not exceed ten per cent of the contracted editorial staff. | 5953 Art. 10 |
| Fee for work outside the contract (<i>mukavele dışı yazı ücreti</i>) | The separate fee a journalist receives for work assigned outside the contract and for pieces commissioned or accepted for publication; social security contributions on these additional fees must be paid. | 5953 Art. 15 |
| Paid annual leave (<i>yıllık ücretli izin</i>) | Four weeks for a journalist with at least one year's seniority at a daily periodical; six weeks for a journalist with more than ten years in the profession, on full pay. This right cannot be waived. | 5953 Art. 21 |
| Weekly rest (<i>haftalık izin</i>) | One day's paid rest following each six days of actual work; in work requiring continuous night working, the weekly rest is two days. | 5953 Art. 19 |
| Extraordinary (compassionate) leave (<i>olağanüstü izin / mazeret izni</i>) | Three days' paid leave on the birth of a child, four days on the death of a spouse, child, mother or father, and two days on the marriage of a child or the death of a sibling, grandparent or grandchild. It does not count against annual leave. | 5953 Art. 19 |
| Overtime work (<i>fazla saatlerde çalışma</i>) | Work beyond eight hours a day, and work on national holidays, public holidays and the weekly rest day. The premium is fifty per cent above the normal hourly rate, and one hundred per cent for hours falling after midnight; it may not exceed three hours a day. | 5953 Additional Art. 1 |
| Annual bonus (<i>yıllık ikramiye</i>) | The bonus of at least one month's wage received by a journalist at the end of each year of service. | 5953 Art. 14 |
| Death benefit (<i>ölüm tazminatı</i>) | Where the employment contract ends by reason of the journalist's death, compensation equal to the seniority entitlement and not less than three times the monthly wage, paid to the spouse and children or, in their absence, to family members dependent on the journalist. | 5953 Art. 18 |
| Change of orientation and character (<i>veçhe ve karakter değişikliği</i>) | A marked change in the editorial line of the periodical that damages the journalist's honour, reputation or moral interests. It entitles the journalist to terminate without waiting for the notice period and to claim compensation. | 5953 Art. 11 |
| Prohibition of non-compete clauses (<i>rekabet memnuiyeti</i>) | The nullity of contractual provisions restricting the journalist's freedom to practise the profession after the employment contract has ended. | 5953 Art. 13 |
| Pay during suspension of publication (<i>yayın tatilinde ücret</i>) | Where publication of a periodical is suspended for any reason whatsoever, its employees receive their wages for two months from the date of suspension; statutory compensation is paid in priority. | 5953 Art. 17 |
The press card
The press card regime was added to Law No. 5187 as Additional Articles 1-8 by Law No. 7418; the implementing rules are in the Press Card Regulation published in the Official Gazette of 10/4/2023. Throughout the Law, the term 'the Directorate' (Başkanlık) means the Directorate of Communications, and that body is the addressee of applications. For the quota calculation see our article on calculating the quota by type of publication, and for the application file see the application checklist.
| Term | Definition | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Press card (<i>basın kartı</i>) | An identity card issued by the Directorate of Communications to the persons specified in the Law. The application is made to the Directorate; the card is an official identity document to be accepted by all public and private bodies. | 5187 Arts. 2(n), 2(ö), Additional Art. 1; Press Card Regulation Art. 5 |
| Duty-based press card (<i>göreve bağlı basın kartı</i>) | The card issued to Turkish citizen media members and information officers attached to a media organisation. | 5187 Additional Art. 1(a); Regulation Art. 10 |
| Fixed-term press card (<i>süreli basın kartı</i>) | The card issued to foreign media members whose area of duty covers Turkey. | 5187 Additional Art. 1(b); Regulation Art. 11 |
| Temporary press card (<i>geçici basın kartı</i>) | The card issued to foreign media members whose area of duty does not cover Turkey but who come to Turkey temporarily for news purposes. | 5187 Additional Art. 1(c); Regulation Art. 12 |
| Freelance press card (<i>serbest basın kartı</i>) | The card issued to Turkish citizen media members who are temporarily not working or who work as freelance journalists abroad. | 5187 Additional Art. 1(ç); Regulation Art. 13 |
| Permanent press card (<i>sürekli basın kartı</i>) | The card issued for life to media members with at least eighteen years of professional service and to information officers who have held a press card for at least eighteen years. It cannot be issued to foreign media members. | 5187 Additional Art. 1(d); Regulation Art. 14 |
| Press Card Commission (<i>Basın Kartı Komisyonu</i>) | A commission of nineteen members, three of whom are designated to represent the Directorate of Communications, which decides to grant or refuse a request by assessing the applicant's qualifications, professional work, published output and awards. Members serve for two years. | 5187 Additional Art. 5; Regulation Arts. 30-35 |
| Quota (<i>kontenjan</i>) | The maximum number of employees at a media organisation who may be issued a press card. It is determined by page area or number of pages for newspapers and magazines, by the nature of the broadcast for radio and television, and by the number of insured employees within the scope of Law No. 5953 for internet news sites. | Press Card Regulation Arts. 19-27 |
| Page area (<i>yüzölçümü</i>) | For periodicals published in print, the figure in square metres obtained by multiplying page width, page depth and the number of pages together. | Press Card Regulation Art. 4(1)(z) |
| Regular publication (<i>düzenli yayım</i>) | Publication without interruption, in a year and other than for reasons of force majeure, of more than fifteen issues for daily publications, six for weeklies, three for fortnightlies, one for monthly and quarterly publications, and, for news and photograph agencies, without interruption of more than two days in total. | Press Card Regulation Art. 4(1)(g) |
| Letter of introduction (<i>takdim mektubu</i>) | The document a foreign media member obtains from the embassy, legation or consulate in Turkey of the country in which the head office of the organisation they belong to is located. It is not required of those applying through Anadolu Agency and TRT. | 5187 Additional Art. 4(c); Regulation Arts. 9, 40 |
| Press traffic card (<i>basın trafik kartı</i>) | A card that may be issued to press card holders on request. Its procedures and principles are determined jointly by the Directorate of Communications and the Ministry of the Interior; it is not issued to foreign media members. | Press Card Regulation Art. 44 |
| Service-stamped passport (<i>hizmet damgalı pasaport</i>) | A passport arrangement available to press card holding press members assigned to duties abroad and to permanent press card holders resident in Turkey. The assignment becomes final on the approval of the Head of the Directorate of Communications. | Art. 14 of Passport Law No. 5682; Directive on Service-Stamped Passports for Press Card Holders |
Radio and television (Law No. 6112)
Radio and television terminology comes from the definitions provision in Article 3 of Law No. 6112. The constitutional basis of that Law is Article 133 of the Constitution, which leaves the establishment of radio and television stations free on conditions to be laid down by law and establishes the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) as a nine-member regulator. For pre-broadcast review, see our RTÜK broadcasting principles checklist.
| Term | Definition | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Media service provider (<i>medya hizmet sağlayıcı</i>) | The legal person that has editorial responsibility for the choice of the content of radio, television and on-demand media services and decides how that service is organised and transmitted. | 6112 Art. 3(l) |
| Media service (<i>yayın hizmeti</i>) | A service under the editorial responsibility of a media service provider whose principal purpose is to provide programmes over electronic communications networks in order to inform, entertain or educate the public. Private correspondence is excluded. | 6112 Art. 3(ff) |
| On-demand media service (<i>isteğe bağlı yayın hizmeti</i>) | A media service in which programmes are watched or listened to at a time chosen by the user and at the user's individual request, on the basis of a catalogue of programmes organised by the media service provider. | 6112 Art. 3(h) |
| Editorial responsibility (<i>editoryal sorumluluk</i>) | Having the power to organise and control the content and choice of programmes, their placement in the broadcasting schedule for radio and television, and their presentation within the catalogue for on-demand services. | 6112 Art. 3(f) |
| Broadcasting licence (<i>yayın lisansı</i>) | The permit issued by the Supreme Council to media service providers separately for each type, technique and medium of broadcasting. The licence runs for ten years and a terrestrial broadcasting licence cannot be transferred. | 6112 Arts. 3(hh), 27 |
| Broadcast transmission authorisation (<i>yayın iletim yetkisi</i>) | The authorisation document issued by the Supreme Council to multiplex, platform and infrastructure operators and to transmitter facility and operating companies so that they can transmit media services. | 6112 Art. 3(ğğ) |
| Multiplex (<i>multipleks</i>) | The method of combining a large number of terrestrial media services into one or more signals. | 6112 Art. 3(m) |
| Multiplex operator (<i>multipleks işletmecisi</i>) | The undertaking that combines more than one media service to be delivered terrestrially and provides its transmission between media service providers and the infrastructure operator or transmitter facility company. | 6112 Arts. 3(n), 28 |
| Platform operator (<i>platform işletmecisi</i>) | The undertaking that turns a large number of media services into one or more signals and transmits them, encrypted or unencrypted, over satellite, cable and similar media so that the viewer receives them directly. | 6112 Arts. 3(p), 29 |
| Infrastructure operator (<i>altyapı işletmecisi</i>) | The undertaking that operates the media service transmission infrastructure. | 6112 Art. 3(a) |
| National broadcast (<i>ulusal yayın</i>) | A media service delivered terrestrially to at least seventy per cent of the country's population and to the settlements designated by the Supreme Council. | 6112 Art. 3(aa) |
| Thematic broadcast (<i>tematik yayın</i>) | A service devoting at least seventy per cent of its daily broadcasting time to a single genre or to programmes aimed at a particular audience segment outside the general audience. | 6112 Art. 3(y) |
| Protective symbol (<i>koruyucu sembol</i>) | The common symbols used by media service providers to inform viewers about the content of a media service. Harmful content may not be broadcast during hours when children may be watching, even if a protective symbol is used. | 6112 Arts. 3(j), 8(2), 24 |
| Commercial communication (<i>ticari iletişim</i>) | Content covering radio and television advertising, sponsorship, teleshopping and product placement, provided alongside or embedded within a programme in order to promote a product, service or image. | 6112 Art. 3(z) |
| Surreptitious commercial communication (<i>gizli ticari iletişim</i>) | The promotion within programmes of the activity, trade mark, name, service or product of a producer of goods or services, outside advertising breaks and without any explanatory sound or image indicating that advertising is taking place. It cannot be permitted. | 6112 Arts. 3(g), 9(3) |
| Sponsorship (<i>program desteklemesi</i>) | A contribution made to programmes by persons not involved in providing the media service, in order to promote their name, trade mark, logo, image or products. It is not permitted in news bulletins and religious ceremony broadcasts. | 6112 Arts. 3(s), 12 |
| Product placement (<i>ürün yerleştirme</i>) | Commercial communication in which a product, service or trade mark is included and shown within a programme in return for payment or similar consideration. It may be used only in cinema and television films, series, sports programmes and general entertainment programmes. | 6112 Arts. 3(cc), 13 |
| Teleshopping (<i>tele-alışveriş</i>) | Broadcasting of direct offers to the public for the supply of goods or services, including immovable property, rights and obligations, in return for payment. | 6112 Arts. 3(ü), 10(4) |
| Viewer representative (<i>izleyici temsilcisi</i>) | A person with at least ten years' professional experience appointed to establish joint and self-regulatory mechanisms and to assess viewer complaints. The appointment is announced publicly and notified to the Supreme Council. | 6112 Art. 22 |
Official advertisements and the Press Advertising Agency
The official advertisement regime rests on Law No. 195 and on the decisions of the General Assembly of the Press Advertising Agency; the price is set by the tariff brought into force each year by Presidential Decision. For calculating newspaper measurements see our newspaper page area calculation, and for the tariff year by year see the tariff archive.
| Term | Definition | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Press Advertising Agency (<i>Basın İlan Kurumu</i>, BİK) | A public legal entity charged with acting as intermediary for the publication of official advertisements in periodicals, extending credit and loans to the press, meeting the needs of the press and providing social assistance. Its head office is in İstanbul. | 195 Arts. 1, 2, 3 |
| Official advertisement (<i>resmî ilan</i>) | Advertisements whose publication is compulsory under laws, presidential decrees and regulations (private associations excepted), or which are placed by public administrations and undertakings, and which are not in the nature of advertising. | 195 Art. 29 |
| Private advertisement (<i>hususi ilan</i>) | Advertisements not treated as official advertisements, placed by natural or legal persons for publication in newspapers and magazines, and not in the nature of advertising. | 195 Art. 40 |
| Advertising (<i>reklam</i>) | Announcements made in newspapers and magazines by text, picture or drawing for commercial purposes such as increasing sales, or in order to gain support for something or some idea. | 195 Art. 40 |
| Column-centimetre (<i>sütun-santim</i>) | The unit obtained by measuring one centimetre along the column depth that forms the basis of newspaper page layout. The official advertisement fee for newspapers is calculated on this unit. | Official Advertisement Price Tariff Art. 1(1) |
| Box area (<i>kutu alan</i>) | The area of one centimetre in height by three point four centimetres in width, taken as the basis for calculating the official advertisement fee on internet news sites. | Official Advertisement Price Tariff Art. 1(1) |
| Advertisement portal (ilan.gov.tr) | The portal of the Press Advertising Agency on which official advertisements that must be published electronically, and advertisements to be published under Laws No. 2886 and 4734, are published. | 195 Art. 45/A; Official Advertisement Price Tariff Art. 3 |
| İLANBİS | The Press Advertising Agency system in which the measurement and calculation of official advertisements to be published on internet news sites is carried out. | Official Advertisement Price Tariff Art. 2(1) |
| The '(Basın)' notation | A word indicating the intermediary body is placed at the foot of every advertisement; the Press Advertising Agency uses the word '(Basın)' followed by a serial number. No fee is charged for this. | 195 Art. 46 |
| Commission fee (<i>komisyon ücreti</i>) | The fee deducted from invoices at fifteen per cent for advertisements and announcements the Agency is under a duty to intermediate, and at a maximum of ten per cent for other advertisements and announcements. | 195 Art. 24 |
| Producer (<i>prodüktör</i>) | A person or organisation acting as intermediary in the publication of private advertisements and advertising. The activity is free; a producer may not enter into an exclusivity agreement with a newspaper and may not take commission of more than twenty-five per cent. | 195 Arts. 41, 44 |
| Minimum complement of intellectual workers (<i>asgari fikir işçisi kadrosu</i>) | The staffing condition a periodical must satisfy to receive official advertisements. Those counted in the complement must not perform work requiring physical labour and must reside in the place where the newspaper is published; persons holding the status of company partner may not be counted. | 195 Art. 34(c); BİK General Assembly Principle Decisions Nos. 94 and 171 |
Protection of children and harmful publications
In the print press, child protection is provided by Law No. 1117 of 1927, and in electronic broadcasting by the protective symbol system of Law No. 6112. Law No. 1117 does not prohibit publication; it introduces restrictive measures preventing publications from reaching minors.
| Term | Definition | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Harmful publication (<i>muzır neşriyat</i>) | Periodicals, and other printed works not falling within the definition of a periodical, that are found likely to have a harmful effect on the moral development of persons under eighteen. | 1117 Art. 1 |
| The Board (the competent board) | The competent board formed within the Ministry of Labour, Social Services and Family, which decides that a printed work is harmful to minors. The text of the Law refers to it only as 'the competent board' and 'the Board'; the name 'Board for the Protection of Minors from Harmful Publications', common in practice, does not appear in the Law. Its decisions take account of the aims and principles in Basic Law of National Education No. 1739; it decides by absolute majority. | 1117 Arts. 2, 3 |
| 'Harmful to minors' stamp (<i>küçüklere zararlıdır damgası</i>) | The wording which, upon notification of the Board's decision, must be printed on the front cover of the work in a form and size that anyone can easily see and read. A stamped work may be sold only to persons over eighteen and in an opaque envelope or wrapper. | 1117 Art. 4 |
| The three-decisions rule (<i>üç kez kuralı</i>) | Where three decisions of harmfulness have been given about a periodical, no fresh decision is required for its subsequent issues; the restrictions apply automatically. | 1117 Art. 4(7) |
| Exception for intellectual, social, scientific and aesthetic value | The exclusion from the scope of the Law of works possessing these qualities. It is an exception consistent with the freedom of science and the arts in Article 27 of the Constitution. | 1117 Art. 6 |
Liability and sanctions
In the print press liability is graduated, while in radio and television it operates as a graduation of administrative sanctions. The logic of the two regimes differs: Law No. 5187 establishes a criminal system of sanctions, Law No. 6112 an administrative one.
| Term | Definition | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Chain of criminal liability (<i>cezai sorumluluk zinciri</i>) | For an offence committed through printed works or internet news sites, the author of the work is liable first; where the author is unknown, lacks criminal capacity or is abroad, the responsible editor and the official to whom that editor reports are liable in periodicals, the publisher in non-periodicals, and, if the publisher too is unknown, the printer. | 5187 Art. 11 |
| The person who procures publication (<i>yayımlatan</i>) | A person who has the work published despite the objection of the responsible editor or the official to whom that editor reports; criminal liability then passes to that person. | 5187 Art. 11 |
| Joint and several civil liability (<i>müteselsil hukuki sorumluluk</i>) | In periodicals, the author of the work, the owner of the publication and, if any, its representative are jointly and severally liable for pecuniary and non-pecuniary damage. Where the legal person is a joint stock company, the chairman of the board is jointly liable, and in other companies the most senior manager. | 5187 Art. 13 |
| Prohibition on conversion into imprisonment (<i>hapse çevirme yasağı</i>) | Fines imposed for offences under the Press Law cannot be converted into a custodial sentence. The exceptions are Articles 18 and 22. | 5187 Art. 28 |
| Administrative fine (RTÜK) | Where the media service principles are breached, a fine calculated on gross commercial communication revenue for the month preceding the month in which the breach was established; between two and five per cent for breaches in the serious group and between one and three per cent for others. | 6112 Arts. 32(1), 32(2) |
| Programme suspension and licence revocation | Suspension of the broadcast of the programme concerned up to five times; on repetition, temporary suspension of the organisation's broadcasts and, on a second repetition, revocation of the broadcasting licence. A producer or presenter whose programme is suspended may not make or present a programme on another channel during the suspension. | 6112 Arts. 32(1), 32(4), 32(5) |
Procedural concepts
Press cases have their own procedural rules: short time limits, decisions without a hearing, and an expedited appeal mechanism. These terms determine which door you go to, and within what time, in a dispute.
| Term | Definition | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Short limitation period (a condition of the proceedings) | The period for bringing a criminal action for offences committed through the press: four months for daily periodicals and internet news sites, six months for other printed works. This period is a condition of the proceedings and cannot exceed the limitation period in the Turkish Penal Code. | 5187 Art. 26 |
| Expedited appeal (<i>acele itiraz</i>) | The appeal route available against orders suspending publication in connection with the declaration and against decisions of the criminal judgeship of the peace on correction and reply. The competent authority decides within three days and its decision is final. | 5187 Arts. 8, 14 |
| Criminal judgeship of the peace (<i>sulh ceza hâkimliği</i>) | The forum applied to where a correction and reply request is not published or is published contrary to the rules. The judge decides on the request within three days, without a hearing. For radio and television broadcasts, the competent forum is likewise the criminal court of peace. | 5187 Art. 14; 6112 Art. 18 |
| Seizure (<i>el koyma</i>) | Seizure by the public prosecutor of at most three copies of a printed work as evidence for an investigation; where an investigation or prosecution has been commenced for the offences listed in the Law, all copies may be seized by judicial order. The constitutional procedure is notification to a judge within twenty-four hours and approval within forty-eight hours. | 5187 Art. 25; Constitution Art. 28 |
Institutions
The field has four institutional actors; knowing which matter is dealt with at which door saves time in practice. You can follow step by step how these institutions' powers reached their present form in our timeline of Turkish press law.
| Term | Definition | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Directorate of Communications (<i>İletişim Başkanlığı</i>) | The body to which press card applications are made, which assesses them and issues the cards. In Law No. 5187 the term <i>Başkanlık</i> means the Directorate of Communications and <i>Başkan</i> means its Head. The body was established by Presidential Decree No. 14 of 24/7/2018 and took over the functions of the abolished Directorate General of Press, Publication and Information. | Presidential Decree No. 14; 5187 Arts. 2(o), 2(ö), Additional Art. 1; Press Card Regulation Art. 51 |
| Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) | The regulator established to regulate and supervise radio and television activities, composed of nine members elected by the plenary of the Grand National Assembly. It issues licences, supervises the media service principles and applies administrative sanctions. | Constitution Art. 133; 6112 Arts. 35, 32 |
| General Assembly of the Press Advertising Agency | The organ that determines the qualifying conditions for periodicals eligible to receive official advertisements and the principles of distribution, and adopts principle decisions. It has forty-two members, membership runs for two years and it meets every three months. | 195 Arts. 5, 6, 34, 36 |
| Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) | The sole radio and television corporation established by the State as a public legal entity. Its autonomy and the impartiality of its broadcasts are constitutional principles; the media service principles and commercial communication provisions of Law No. 6112 also apply to TRT. | Constitution Art. 133; Law No. 2954; 6112 Art. 45 |
Pairs of terms that are frequently confused
The pairs below are used interchangeably in everyday speech but have distinct meanings in the legislation. Using the wrong term in a petition or an application can send the file to the wrong authority.
| Confused pair | The difference | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Type of publication (<i>yayın türü</i>) / nature of broadcast (<i>yayın niteliği</i>) | 'Type of publication' is the national / regional / local distinction for printed periodicals. 'Nature of broadcast' describes the national, regional and local coverage area in radio and television and is based on a proportion of the population. | 5187 Arts. 2(d)-(g); 6112 Arts. 3(e), (aa), (jj); Press Card Regulation Art. 4 |
| Broadcasting licence / broadcast transmission authorisation | The licence is issued to the media service provider that produces content. The transmission authorisation is issued to the multiplex, platform and infrastructure operators and the transmitter facility company that carry the content. | 6112 Arts. 3(hh) and 3(ğğ) |
| Official advertisement / private advertisement / advertising | An official advertisement is one required by legislation or placed by public bodies, and is not in the nature of advertising. A private advertisement is an advertisement placed by private persons that is not in the nature of advertising. Advertising is an announcement for commercial purposes or to secure a benefit. | 195 Arts. 29 and 40 |
| Printed work / periodical (<i>mevkute</i>) | Not every printed work can receive official advertisements. For official advertisement purposes, a <i>mevkute</i> must have been printed in a printing house that has filed a declaration under the Printing Houses Law; publications reproduced on desktop digital printing machines are not treated as periodicals. | 5187 Art. 2(a); BİK General Assembly Principle Decision No. 176 |
| Responsible editor (press) / responsible manager (radio and TV) | In the press, the responsible editor is subject to the conditions in Article 5 of Law No. 5187. In radio and television, the responsible manager is appointed under Article 46 of Law No. 6112 and, in national and regional broadcasting, must be a higher education graduate. | 5187 Art. 5; 6112 Art. 46 |
| Seniority under Law No. 5953 / seniority under the Labour Code | Under Law No. 5953, seniority is the journalist's total service in the profession from the date of first entry into it; it is not the period spent with the same employer. | 5953 Arts. 6, 21 |
| Protective symbol / 'smart sign' | The term used by the Law is 'protective symbol'. The types of symbol are not regulated in the Law; the matter is left to secondary legislation to be determined by the Supreme Council. | 6112 Arts. 3(j), 24(2) |
| Sponsorship / product placement | Sponsorship is an external contribution to a programme and is stated at the beginning and end of the programme. Product placement is the inclusion of the product within the programme and may be used only in certain types of programme. | 6112 Arts. 12 and 13 |
Where the terms come from: which text to consult
Below are the provisions to go to directly when you want to confirm the full text of a term. For ways of accessing the official texts, see our guide to sources of Turkish media law.
text
Constitution (2709) ........... Arts. 13, 22, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32,
41, 133
5187 Press Law ................ Arts. 1-32 + Additional Arts. 1-8 +
Provisional Arts. 1-4
- definitions .............. Art. 2 (2/o the Head, 2/o-with-dots the
Directorate)
- imprint .................. Art. 4
- declaration ............... Arts. 7, 8
- deposit and retention .... Art. 10
- liability ................ Arts. 11, 13
- correction and reply ..... Art. 14
- seizure .................. Art. 25
- limitation period ........ Art. 26
- press card ............... Additional Arts. 1-8 (applications to the
Directorate of Communications)
5953 Press Labour Act ......... Arts. 1-32 + Additional Arts. 1-4
- scope and journalist ..... Art. 1
- written contract ......... Art. 4
- seniority and notice ..... Arts. 6, 7
- wages and bonus .......... Art. 14
- leave .................... Arts. 19, 21
- overtime ................. Additional Art. 1
6112 Broadcasting Law ......... Arts. 1-50
- definitions .............. Art. 3
- media service principles . Art. 8
- commercial communication . Arts. 9-13
- correction and reply ..... Art. 18
- licence .................. Arts. 19, 27
- transmission authority ... Arts. 28, 29, 29/A
- sanctions ................ Arts. 32, 33
195 Press Advertising Agency .. Arts. 1-55
- definition of official ad Art. 29
- distribution ............. Arts. 31, 32
- periodical conditions .... Art. 34
- price tariff ............. Art. 39
- mandatory BIK channel .... Art. 42
- internet news sites ...... Art. 45/A
- sanctions ................ Art. 49
1117 Harmful Publications ..... Arts. 1-12 + Additional Arts. 1-3
4454 Suspension Law ........... Arts. 1-5
2954 TRT Law
Press Card Regulation ......... Arts. 1-51 (Official Gazette 10/4/2023 - 32159)
Official Advertisement Tariff . Presidential Decision 10768
(Official Gazette 25/12/2025 - 33118)