The newest package of amendments to Law No. 2954: Law No. 7548 of 21/5/2025. It touches six articles and its centre of gravity is institutional flexibility and the personnel regime.
The Articles Amended
| Article | Subject | Art. of No. 7548 |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | The Director General's financial rights - amended together with its heading | 5 |
| 37 | Founding, purchasing companies and partnership - amended together with its heading | 6 |
| 50/f, /g, /h, /ı, /k | The employment rights of personnel | 7 |
| 51 | Bonus - a change of wording | 8 |
| 60/2 | The allocation of immovables | 9 |
| Provisional 15 | A transitional provision | 10 |
1) The Director General's Financial Rights - Art. 13
(Amended together with its heading: 21/5/2025-7548/5) - The Director General is paid the salary and contract fee (including bonus) received by the highest civil servant. In monthly payments the additional indicator, seniority and base salaries and the social aid, increments and allowances are taken as a basis.
2) Founding Companies and Partnership - Art. 37
(Amended together with its heading: 21/5/2025-7548/6) The Board of Directors, provided it is in conformity with the purposes of the Corporation, may:
- Found companies subject to private law provisions
- Form partnerships with Turkish or foreign natural or legal persons
- Participate in existing partnerships or companies
- Purchase or take over in full Turkish or foreign partnerships or companies at home or abroad
The Procurement Exemption
The fourth paragraph confirms that once more: the work the Corporation will do with the companies belonging to it or in which it is a partner is also not subject to Laws No. 4734 and No. 4735; the procedures and principles are determined on the proposal of the Director General and by decision of the Board of Directors.
Assigning Personnel to Companies
Art. 37, final paragraph: the Corporation's personnel may be assigned, with the approval of the Director General, as chair and/or member of the board of directors of companies belonging to TRT and of companies in which it is a partner. Without being subject to the arrangements and restrictions in other statutes, apart from Art. 12 of Decree-Law No. 631, the fee to be paid is determined by the board of directors of the company to which they are assigned. The relationship of that personnel with their posts and positions continues and they continue to receive the rights attaching to the post.
3) The Personnel Regime - Art. 50
| Subpara. | Amendment |
|---|---|
| f | The additional indicators to be applied to posts within the General Administrative Services class are determined by the President on the proposal of the Board of Directors, provided they do not exceed their equivalents in other public organisations |
| g | Contracted personnel against an established post may be employed at the Corporation; the examination, recruitment, appointment and promotion are governed by the Board of Directors; the title, number, post, fee, additional indicator, office and duty allowance and all financial and social rights are determined by the President on the proposal of the Board of Directors |
| h | Personnel subject to private law provisions may also be employed under the provisions of Turkish Code of Obligations No. 6098; the provisions of subparagraph (g) do not apply to them |
| ı | Personnel subject to private law provisions are personnel of Turkish or foreign nationality employed through an examination to be held by the Corporation, whose procedures and principles as to employment, contract, termination, compensation and fees are determined by the Board of Directors, and who may be assigned to managerial posts |
| k | Investigations concerning allegations of offences by the personnel of the Directorate General in connection with their duties are conducted under Law No. 4483 and permission to investigate is given by the Director General |
We cover the whole personnel regime in the employment rights guide.
4) The Allocation of Immovables - Art. 60/2
(Amended paragraph: 21/5/2025-7548/9) - Immovables belonging to public administrations and places under the authority and disposal of the State may be allocated to the Corporation free of charge for use in its duties and activities.
The General Direction of the Amendment
| Field | Direction |
|---|---|
| Companies and partnerships | The power to purchase and take over at home and abroad; the exemption from Laws No. 4734/4735 was widened |
| Personnel | Private law personnel were redefined; assignment to managerial posts was expressly made possible |
| Deciding authority | In financial and social rights, the pairing of a Board of Directors proposal + the President |
| Investigation | The Law No. 4483 regime; permission with the Director General |
| Immovables | The free allocation of public immovables |
What Does It Mean for a Journalist?
The most practical result is the form of employment: there are three routes to working as a journalist at TRT - civil servant, contracted personnel against an established post, and private law personnel subject to Turkish Code of Obligations No. 6098. The employment rights and disciplinary regime of the three differ.
We cover the press card and status dimension in the working at TRT guide.
Summary
Law No. 7548 of 21/5/2025 amended six provisions of Law No. 2954: the Director General's financial rights (Art. 13), founding, purchasing companies and partnership (Art. 37), the employment rights of personnel (five subparagraphs of Art. 50), the bonus (Art. 51), the allocation of immovables (Art. 60/2) and a transitional provision. The centre of gravity of the amendment is institutional flexibility and the forms of employment.