Insights
Navigating Türkiye’s Legal Landscape on Parallel Imports and Grey Market Goods
Parallel imports and grey market goods (ie, genuine products that have been imported into a country without the trademark owner's consent, after being legitimately placed on the market elsewhere] have long been a subject of legal and commercial tension worldwide, and a main topic for discussions around trademark rights. Most countries apply a national or regional exhaustion of trademark rights. However, Article 7 of the Turkish Industrial Property Code 6769 (IP Code]. which… »
Applying Presumption of Patent Infringement Against Biosimilars
Before filing lawsuits to assert patent rights against generics or biosimilars, the patent holder essentially operates in the dark. This is because, particularly in cases where the summary of product characteristics (“SmPC”) of the biosimilar/generic drug has not yet been published, or when it is not clear from the limited information in the SmPC whether the patent has been infringed, the relevant sections of the biosimilar/generic product's dossier must be examined to assess… »
Regulations Regarding Direct Sales Models
With the Regulation on Direct Sales (“Regulation”) published in the Official Gazette dated 8 August 2025 and numbered 32980, direct sale systems have been re-regulated, which are sales systems established by a direct sale company and in which direct sellers (who are not employed by the relevant direct sale company under an employment contract but rather act as independent representatives, distributors, consultants or under similar titles, and engage in return for benefits… »
Türkiye’s Healthcare System Undergoes Major Legal Reforms
On July 24, 2025, Türkiye introduced the Law Amending Certain Laws Related to Health (“the Law No. 7557), a wide-ranging reform aimed at modernizing and improving its healthcare industry. This legislation comes at a time when rapid social and economic changes, advancing technology, and growing healthcare demands require continuous adaptation and improvement of the healthcare system. Over the years, Türkiye has made significant progress in expanding healthcare access… »
Implementation of Discovery of Evidence in Patent Law
One of the most important temporary protection measures regulated by Turkish law is the determination of evidence. The implementation of determination of evidence, which is regulated in Articles 400 et seq. of the Code of Civil Procedure No. 6100 and is subject to simple legal procedure, may be requested for the purpose of making a discovery, obtaining an expert examination or taking witness statements in order to determine facts that have yet to be examined in a pending… »
Personal Data Protection in Turkiye and Worldwide in Light of TikTok Decisions: Children's Data and Cross-Border Data Transfer
Personal data protection has become a critical area that has rapidly gained importance both in Türkiye and worldwide in recent years. With the impact of digitalization, individuals generate increasing amounts of personal data in their daily lives, which in turn raises societal sensitivity regarding data security and privacy awareness. In this context, regulatory authorities are tightening oversight of data processing activities; particularly, technology companies are… »
Works on Artificial Intelligence in Türkiye : Summary of the Activities of the AI Commission
The Parliamentary Research Commission on Determining the Steps to Be Taken to Maximize the Benefits of Artificial Intelligence, Establishing the Legal Infrastructure in This Field, and Identifying Measures to Prevent the Risks Associated with the Use of Artificial Intelligence (“Commission”) was officially established on January 14, 2025, and effectively concluded its mandate with its final meeting on May 13, 2025. During its term of activity, the Commission addressed not… »
Strategic Battlefield in Combating Counterfeiters: Turkish Riviera, West and South Coast of Türkiye
With a coastline of almost 9,000 kilometers and over 550 blue flag beaches, Türkiye welcomes millions of domestic and foreign tourists during the summer season each year. The most popular area for summer vacations is known as the Turkish Riviera, comprising the cities of Antalya and Muğla in particular, and also some parts of Aydın and Izmir, encompassing the main districts of Alanya, Antalya, Kemer, Fethiye, Marmaris, Bodrum, Kuşadası and Çeşme from the south to the west… »
Recommendations by the Turkish Personal Data Protection Authority on the Protection of Personal Data in the Field of Artificial Intelligence
With the advancement of artificial intelligence technologies, the emergence of new risks—particularly in relation to the protection of personal data—has increased the need for concrete guidance for developers, manufacturers, and service providers in this field. Due to the current gaps in legislation, relevant public institutions and authorities have been publishing various proposals, decisions, and recommendations on the subject. The Personal Data Protection Authority… »
The Personal Data Protection Board Issued a Principle Decision on the Processing of Personal Data Through SMS Verification Codes Sent to Customers Almost by Force During the Provision of Products and Services in Stores
In recent years, it has become increasingly common for stores to request contact information from individuals during purchases and/or to obtain their explicit consent by sending a verification code via SMS, after which commercial electronic messages are sent to the provided contact details for advertising purposes. Due to the growing number of complaints from consumers and the widespread nature of this practice, the Personal Data Protection Board (“Board”) issued a Board… »
Updates
Courts grant broad protection to weak trademark
The Turkish courts have ruled in favour of the owner of a mark consisting of a very common expression The courts found that, even though ‘İyi Yaşam’ is a common expression, the plaintiff’s intensive use strengthened the distinctiveness of the mark Arguably, such outcome is not in line with previous Court of Cassation decisions In a recent decision, the Court of Cassation has favoured the registrant of a weaklydistinctive sign in the similarity examination by ignoring the… »
News and Events
Mehmet Gün, Özge Atılgan Karakulak and Selin Sinem Erciyas are Listed in IAM Global Leaders 2025
We are pleased to announce that our founding partner Mehmet Gün and partners Özge Atılgan Karakulak and Selin Sinem Erciyas, have been recognized as IAM Global Leaders for the year 2025. This prestigious distinction is reserved for individuals who attain the gold tier ranking in the IAM Patent 1000, an authoritative directory that identifies the foremost law firms and attorneys in key patent jurisdictions around the world. This recognition reflects our firm’s commitment to…
Dicle Doğan Honored as Leading Author in Lexology's Q3 2024 Life Sciences Legal Influencers - Europe
Congratulations to Dicle Doğan for being recognized as a leading author in the Lexology Legal Influencers Q3 2024 for Healthcare and Life Sciences - Europe. Lexology’s Legal Influencers recognize thought leaders in the legal industry each quarter. These recognized Legal Influencers consistently provide Lexology subscribers with useful and insightful legal analysis within specific practice areas, regions, or countries.
Dicle Doğan, Has Been Recognized as a Leading Author in the Lexology Legal Influencers
Congratulations to Dicle Doğan for being recognized as a leading author in the Lexology Legal Influencers Q2 2024 for Healthcare and Life Sciences - Europe. Lexology’s Legal Influencers recognize thought leaders in the legal industry each quarter. These recognized Legal Influencers consistently provide Lexology subscribers with useful and insightful legal analysis within specific practice areas, regions, or countries.
We Have Been Selected as the “Patent Litigation Firm of the Year” in Turkey by Global IP Awards 2024
We are delighted to have been named the winner of the Patent Litigation Firm of the Year for Turkey in the Global IP Awards 2024, which recognises the outstanding achievements of law and attorney firms in litigation, prosecution, and transactional work during 2023/2024.
We attended the 10th Annual IBA World Life Sciences Conference in Madrid
The 10th Annual IBA World Life Sciences Conference took place on 30-31 May 2024 in Madrid, Spain. In a conference spanning two days, legal experts from the industry, authorities, and private practice discussed key developments in all aspects of the healthcare and life sciences sectors, including new regulatory requirements in the EU and the US, Transatlantic Review of Patent Litigation, Effective Resolution in Life Sciences Collaborations, Interoperability and Digital…
We Ran The 45th Istanbul Marathon for Raising Awareness for The Tohum Autism Foundation
On Sunday, November 5, 2023, we ran the 45th Istanbul Marathon for raising awareness for the Tohum Autism Foundation. We supported “Be the Sunshine for Children with Autism,” project with the goal of providing children with autism the special education they need and ensuring that both children and their families can benefit from educational and healthcare services under equal conditions and opportunities. We thank all our colleagues for their support.…
Direnç Bada, was Recently Featured in the CNBC Documentary, "Ozempic Underworld - The Black Market of Weight Loss Drugs"
We are pleased to announce that our Managing Associate, Direnç Bada, was recently featured in the CNBC documentary, "Ozempic Underworld — The Black Market of Weight Loss Drugs." In his interview, Direnç, highlighted the growing concerns over counterfeit and diverted weight loss medications circulating in the market. "Despite the strict prohibition on selling these products online in Turkey, we are seeing a troubling rise in both online platforms and broader market channels…
We are Attending the IBA Annual Conference in Mexico City
We are excited to announce our participation in the International Bar Association (IBA) Annual Conference 2024 in Mexico City and warmly invite you to meet with us during the event. Representing Gün + Partners at the conference will be Görkem Bilgin, Özge Atılgan Karakulak, Advisory Board Member of the IP and Entertainment Law Committee, and Uğur Aktekin. As an independent law firm recognized internationally among the top-tier legal services providers, we pride ourselves on…
Özge Atılgan Karakulak Has Been Elected to the Board of Directors of Transparency International Turkey
We are proud to announce that Özge Atılgan Karakulak has been elected to the Board of Directors of Transparency International Turkey (TI Turkey). TI Turkey plays a vital role in promoting transparency, integrity, and accountability across all sectors of society, contributing to the country’s democratic, social, and economic development. We extend our best wishes to TI Turkey for continued success in its important work during the new term.
Mehmet Gün has been listed in IAM Strategy 300: The World’s Leading IP Strategists 2024
Mehmet Gün, our founding partner, is listed in IAM Strategy 300: The World’s Leading IP Strategists 2024. IAM Strategy 300 is an annual research project that identifies top practitioners who are taking IP portfolio management to the next level. These individuals are leading the way in developing and implementing strategies that maximize the value of IP portfolios.
Our Anti-Counterfeiting Team Delivered Presentations at Sessions Organized by the General Directorate of Customs
Our Anti-Counterfeiting team delivered presentations at the in-service training sessions organized by the General Directorate of Customs on July 9-10, 2024, in Istanbul. These sessions, attended by customs officers from Istanbul Customs and Foreign Trade Regional Directorate, focused on the protection of intellectual and industrial property rights at customs. Our lawyers represented clients from the pharmaceutical, food, luxury consumer goods, automotive and spare…
Güldeniz Doğan Alkan Spoke at the MARQUES IP Challenges in the Age of GenAI Webinar
Güldeniz Doğan Alkan, partner in our Trademarks and Designs practice, spoke at the Webinar on IP Challenges in the Age of GenAI organised by MARQUES on June 26. The speakers looked at generative AI models and their impact on trade mark, design, and copyright law, including the latest developments concerning liability for infringement under the EU AI Act. The webinar was organised by the MARQUES Cyberspace Team and covered the following topics: Ownership issues from…