The thing that costs most time in Turkish press law is not knowing which document to prepare when. This page gathers the fillable templates, calculators, checklists and reference sources in one place, and says in which situation each of them helps. Every item was prepared with the article of the law it rests on.
Where to start
The entry point depends on your situation:
| Your situation | Where to start |
|---|---|
| I am setting up a new news site | The setup guide → declaration → masthead |
| I am publishing but do not know whether I am compliant | The legal compliance checklist |
| I am going to hire a journalist | The employment contract template |
| I am going to apply for a press card | The application checklist |
| I want to receive official announcements | Official Announcements in Turkey |
| I have a copyright, data protection or removal request problem | Digital Publishing Questions |
1. Templates and model texts
Texts you can fill in and use, with their basis shown.
- Journalist Employment Contract Template (compliant with Law No. 5953) — without a contract a press card application also fails; Article 4 requires the type of work, the wage and seniority to be written in.
- Periodical Publication Declaration: Example and Completion Guide — the fields and annexes of the declaration to be given to the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office; the receipt is also required for a press card application.
- Online News Site Masthead Template — the six items in Article 4(3) of Law No. 5187; the output is an HTML block you can paste straight into the site, with a date stamp template.
- Right of Reply Petition: Model Text — the periods in Article 14 and the petition pattern.
2. Calculators
The calculations that produce the most errors when done by hand. Each shows the article it rests on.
- Journalist Severance and Notice Pay — the two periods are measured separately: severance looks at total service in the profession, notice at uninterrupted service at the same workplace.
- Journalist Overtime Pay — ordinary overtime is paid at a 50% premium; hours falling after midnight are paid at double.
- Press Card Quota — by type of publication and surface area; the quota is a ceiling, not an automatic right.
- Newspaper Surface Area — the commonest error is failing to convert centimetres to metres.
3. Checklists
Lists to tick off one by one before publication or before an application.
- Online News Site Legal Compliance Checklist — the obligations Law No. 5187 imposes on an online news site in a single list, with the articles they rest on.
- Press Card Application Checklist — the seven conditions in Additional Article 3; if one is missing the application is refused before it reaches the Commission.
- RTÜK Broadcasting Principles Checklist — checks the 24 sub-paragraphs of Article 8(1) of Law No. 6112 before broadcast and shows which penalty group each falls into.
4. Reference sources
For when you want to verify a concept or a date quickly.
- Turkish Press Law Glossary: 120 Terms — the basic definitions in Laws No. 5187, 6112, 195 and 1117 and the Press Card Regulation in one list.
- Which Law Applies to Which Type of Publication? — asks what you publish, where and how often, and produces the laws you are subject to.
- Turkish Press Law Timeline: 1950 to Today — statutory amendments, Constitutional Court annulments and Presidential decisions in date order.
- What Changed in Turkish Media Law This Year? — the most recent amendments; complete your compliance check here.
- Sources of the Legislation: Where to Find the Official Texts — how to get to the primary source.
5. Archive and calendar
- Official Announcement Price Tariff Archive (by Year) — under Article 39 of Law No. 195 the tariff is determined by the President on the proposal of BIK’s General Assembly; the unit fees by year are here.
- Press Card Commission Meeting Calendar and Results — shows at which meeting your application may be considered.
6. Setup and software guides
Long guides that describe a process rather than a template or a calculation.
- How to Start an Online News Site — from the idea to the domain name, from costs to the declaration, step by step.
- News Publishing Software: A Complete Guide — all the criteria of software selection; which of the legislative items software meets.
- News Site Script vs a Modern Platform — the difference between a script, a ready-made site and a platform.
Those specific to a type of publication: newspaper, radio, web TV, magazine and BIK compliant news software.
Five common mistakes
- Treating the declaration as a permit. No permission is obtained; a notification is made. Article 7 of Law No. 5187 says giving the declaration is sufficient.
- Keeping the masthead as free text on a page. When one item is deleted nobody notices; keep it as structured fields.
- Showing a relative date. “3 hours ago” is not enough on its own; Article 4(4) requires a fixed date that does not change on each access.
- Keeping the archive only as the “latest version”. Article 10 requires content to be kept for two years with its accuracy and integrity assured.
- Drafting the contract under Law No. 4857. A journalist is subject to Law No. 5953; the severance, notice and overtime regimes are different.
Other master guides
| Guide | Scope |
|---|---|
| RTUK and Broadcasting Questions | Broadcasting service principles, advertising limits, sanctions, licences, elections and TRT — 45 questions |
| Legal Limits of News Reporting in Turkey | Names and images, private life, confidentiality of investigations, right of reply, liability and damages — 55 questions |
| Official Announcements in Turkey | Acquiring the right, staffing, content and traffic thresholds, indicators, quota, sanctions and inspection — 50 questions |
| Digital Publishing Questions | Copyright and quotation, content removal, data protection, ad labelling, freedom of information — 44 questions |