Insights

Thought Leadership

COVID-19 HUB

COVID-19 HUB

Our COVID-19 HUB is designed to keep our stakeholders updated and help them understand the legal effects of COVID-19 outbreak, and take steps to maintain their businesses in Turkey.

Dispute Management

Dispute Management

Commercial Dispute Resolution under Turkish Law: Rules, Developments and Insights

Patent and Utility Models

Patent and Utility Models

In this year's report, we focus on the key aspects of patent litigation in Turkey, and the most important or challenging issues in Turkish Patent Law.

Trademarks and Designs

Trademarks and Designs

In this year's report, we focus on the eight main challenges encountered in the interpretation and implementation of key changes introduced by the IP Code.

Copyrights

Copyrights

In the report, we outline seven controversial issues that we often encounter in Turkish copyright Law.

Life Sciences

Life Sciences

In this year's report, we focus on the key aspects of life sciences in Turkey, the most important and challenging issues in Turkey’s life sciences industry.

Technology, Media and Telecom

Technology, Media and Telecom

In this year's report, we focus on the key aspects of media and advertising law in Turkey, and the most important or challenging issues in Turkish media and advertising Law.

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Monthly Newsletters

July 2020

July 2020

We are pleased to publish our monthly newsletters to update our community and clients about legal developments in Turkey.

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Key Developments and Predictions for Life Sciences in Turkey

Articles -
Life Sciences || Gün + Partners

With Turkey having a population of 80 million that is covered by an extensive social healthcare system, the size and volume of the Turkish life sciences industry is significant. Despite many opportunities that accompany this potential for growth, it should also be noted that both the Turkish pharmaceutical and medical device industries remain heavily regulated in all aspects, ranging from market access, to pricing and reimbursement being covered by industry-specific regulatio...»

COVID-19’s Impacts on Trademark Prosecution

Guides -
IP Prosecution || Uğur Aktekin and Pınar Arıkan

1. Within the context of the measures taken for combating COVID-19, how will Turkish Patent and Trademark Office (TURKPATENT) function?TURKPATENT is open and active. According to the Presidential Circular numbered 2020/4, published in the Repeated Official Gazette dated March 22, 2020 and numbered 31076,it has been decided that the number of personnel serving in public bodies will be kept in minimum and flexible working methods such as remote or shift working will be implemen...»

Pricing of Pharmaceuticals and the Fixed Exchange Rate

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Life Sciences || Gün + Partners

Healthcare and pharmaceuticals make up a highly regulated industry sector in Turkey, and the pricing of medicines is no exception. The prices of medicines that are to be marketed in Turkey are set in accordance with the Decision on Pricing of Human Medicinal Products (“Decision”) and the Communiqué on the Pricing of Human Medicinal Products (“Communiqué”) of 29 September 2017, issued by the Ministry of Health (“MoH”) who is vested with the competencies to regulate the area. T...»

Market Access-Reimbursement Agreements

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Life Sciences || Gün + Partners

Until recently, there was no direct contractual relationship between the SSI and the pharmaceutical companies (“pharma companies”) regarding the pharmaceuticals purchased by the State. The pharma companies applied for the reimbursement of their products to the SSI and, once listed, companies sold their products to warehouses, which then distributed the products to the hospitals and pharmacies. In line with this sale and distribution chain, the SSI reimbursed the hospitals, or...»

Localisation of Previously Imported Products

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Life Sciences || Gün + Partners

In Turkey, the innovator pharmaceutical market is dominated by originator companies of foreign origin, with local companies active in the generics market. The government’s unease with the emphasis on imported products in the Turkish market beckoned the state development plan to procure local production in the pharmaceutical market, a political act affecting the activities of many pharmaceutical companies of foreign origin. The aforementioned state development plan triggered t...»

Named Patient Programs

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Life Sciences || Gün + Partners

Named Patient Programs (“NPP”) is one of the exceptional importation regimes of pharmaceutical products without marketing authorisation (“MA”) in Turkey, or with marketing authorization, but which are unavailable in the Turkish market for various reasons. Only the Turkish Pharmacists’ Association (“TEB”) and the İbn-i Sina Health Social Security Center, established under the SSI, were authorized to import NPP products until December 2018. An amendment in the law was introduce...»

Interactions with HCPs

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Life Sciences || Gün + Partners

Promotional activities of human medicinal products (“HCPs”), enteral nutrition products, and infant formulas for special medical purposes, are regulated under the Regulation on the Promotional Activities of Pharmaceutical Products for Human Use (“Promotion Regulation”) dated 3 July 2015. Pursuant to the Promotion Regulation, any advertisement of products to the general public, whether directly or indirectly, through any public media or communication channels, including the In...»

Transfer of Value

Articles -
Life Sciences || Gün + Partners

There is no public disclosure rule for value transfers made by pharmaceutical companies. However, according to the Regulation on the Promotional Activities of Pharmaceutical Products for Human Use (“Promotion Regulation”) dated 3 July 2015, the pharmaceutical companies shall notify TITCK about any value transfers that exceed 10% of the current monthly gross minimum wage, to health institutions, organizations, universities, health professionals, and members of professional ass...»

Harmonization with the EU Medical Devices Regulation

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Life Sciences || Gün + Partners

Regulations on Medical Devices numbered 2017/745 (“MDR”), prepared by the EU Commission, has been published and will enter in force on 26 May 2020. As a non-EU country, TITCK published an announcement on 30 December 2019 that harmonization of the new rules established by the MDR with the Turkish regulations continues. On 1 February 2020, Presidential Circular numbered 2020/1 was published in Official Gazette numbered 31026 on the transition period for the UK’s exit from Europ...»

Promotion of Medical Devices

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Life Sciences || Gün + Partners

With medicines, the rule is clear: The general public cannot be the audience to any promotional activity, whatsoever, of pharmaceutical products. However, with medical devices, the rule in place in the Regulation on the Sales, Advertisement and Promotion of Medical Devices (“Medical Device Promotion Regulation”) has caused confusion in the past. The rule states that medical devices that must exclusively be applied by healthcare personnel, and those that are included in the re...»

Food Supplements

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Life Sciences || Gün + Partners

The Regulation on the Importation, Production, Processing and Supply of the Food Supplements (the “Regulation”) was published by the Ministry of Food and Forestry (the “MoA”) on 2 May 2013 in the Official Gazette, and came into force as of 2 August 2013. The said Regulation is not only the first regulation that has been drafted, particularly on food supplements, but also includes unique provisions with regard to the control and approval mechanism to be established over food s...»

Cosmetics

Articles -
Life Sciences || Gün + Partners

The packaging and labelling requirements for cosmetic products are regulated under Cosmetic Law numbered 5324 (the “Law”) and the Regulation on Cosmetics (the “Regulation”) of the TITCK of the MoH. In addition to the Law and the Regulation, the Guidelines on the Promotional Activities of Cosmetic Products and the Regulation on the Health Claims of the Products that are Offered for Sale with a Health Claim (“Health Claim Regulation”) are still applicable, which means administr...»