Insights
Strong Stance Against Trade Mark Squatting in Türkiye
Trade mark squatting has unfortunately become increasingly common in Türkiye in recent years. Bad-faith applicants often identify trade marks that are registered and genuinely used abroad but have not yet been registered in Türkiye, file applications for those marks in their own names and then attempt to sell the registrations or present themselves as the rightful proprietors of the trade marks. In another common scenario, bad-faith applicants use the registrations they have… »
Enforcement of Foreign Judgments 2027 in Türkiye
Legislation Treaties Is your country party to any bilateral or multilateral treaties for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments? What is the country’s approach to entering into these treaties, and what, if any, amendments or reservations has your country made to such treaties? Except for those concerning family law, Türkiye is not a signatory to multilateral treaties for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. However, Türkiye… »
Constitutional Court Annuls the Regime Governing the Exclusion of Shareholders in Two-Shareholder Limited Liability Companies
With its decision published in the Official Gazette on 17 March 2026, the Constitutional Court brought renewed attention to a significant issue that had long been overlooked in relation to limited liability companies. The Constitutional Court held that requiring a general assembly majority for the exclusion of a shareholder in two-shareholder limited liability companies creates a practical deadlock. Accordingly, the Court annulled, in respect of two-shareholder limited… »
Data Breaches and Their Consequences
The Law requires data controllers to notify the Board and the relevant data subject as soon as possible upon becoming aware of a data breach. In its Decision No. 2019/19 dated 24 January 2019 (“the Decision”), the Board has clarified the rules to be applied and the procedures to be followed in the event of a data breach. The Board adopts the GDPR approach regarding the timing of breach notifications and has clarified that the phrase ‘as soon as possible’ in the Law should be… »
Data Protection in the Field of Artificial Intelligence
With the rapid spread of artificial intelligence and its integration into every aspect of life, it has become imperative to establish a legal framework governing the secure and ethical development, deployment and use of artificial intelligence systems, taking into account the complexity and specific characteristics of this technology. Aiming not only to promote the safe, transparent and human rights-respecting development of artificial intelligence technologies, but also to… »
Data Controllers’ Register (VERBİS)
Pursuant to Article 16 of the Law, there is an obligation to register with the Data Controllers’ Register (“VERBİS”) for data controllers established in Türkiye that exceed the specified thresholds, as well as for data controllers established abroad that process personal data in Türkiye as data controllers, without being subject to any threshold criteria. The procedures and principles governing the VERBİS system, which is maintained as a public register, are set out in the… »
Data Protection in Türkiye - General Approach, Current Practices and the Processing of Special Categories of Personal Data
The primary legislation governing the protection of personal data in Türkiye is the Personal Data Protection Act No. 6698 (the “Law”), which came into force in 2016. The Law, which was drafted on the basis of the European Council’s Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC, is influenced by the provisions of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 (“GDPR”), whilst its implementation is influenced by both the GDPR and the decisions of European data protection… »
Updates in the Field of Personal Data Protection Law in Türkiye
The Personal Data Protection Authority (the “Authority”) has issued guidelines and publications principle decisions and public announcements, with the efforts to raise awareness and enhance effectiveness in the field of personal data protection for the effective implementation of the Personal Data Protection Act No. 6698 (the “Law”), and we have seen significant developments regarding the proper handling of intersections with areas such as competition, cyber security… »
Cumulative Protection of Creativity: The Fine Line Between Design and Work
Introduction Intellectual property law provides for various protection mechanisms aimed at safeguarding creative works; such that, depending on the nature of the product or creative works, it is possible to apply for more than one means of protection simultaneously. In this context, designs that meet the necessary criteria may be protected by both design rights under the Industrial Property Code No. 6769 (“IP Code”) and as work under the Law on Intellectual and Artistic Works… »
The Proposed Amendments to Law No. 5846 on Intellectual and Artistic Works
The acceleration of digitalization, the widespread adoption of internet-based uses, and the increasing interaction between artificial intelligence (“AI”) systems and copyright-protected content necessitate greater legal certainty regarding the position of rights holders and the development of mechanisms enabling them to effectively exercise their rights. To address this need, the The Proposal Amending the Law No. 5846 on Intellectual and Artistic Works ("Proposal") was… »
A New Era Begins for Digital Advertising: New Rules for Targeted Advertising and AI-Generated Ads
Digital advertising has undergone a significant transformation in recent years. Advertisers increasingly rely on data relating to consumers’ online behaviour, interests, and preferences to deliver personalised advertisements, while artificial intelligence technologies are becoming more widely used in the creation of advertising content, the use of digital characters, and interactions with consumers. Although these technological developments have enabled advertisements to… »
Healthcare Regulation 2024 in Turkey
1. Organisation, financing and structure of the healthcare system Organisation How is healthcare in your jurisdiction organised? What is the role of government? The healthcare system is governed principally by the Fundamental Law on Healthcare Services No. 3359 and dated 15 May 1987, which furnishes the Ministry of Health (MoH) with the authority to issue healthcare-related regulations and establish a healthcare system enabling each and every person living in Turkey… »
News and Events
Özge Atılgan Karakulak Will Be a Speaker at INTA 2026 Annual Meeting in London
We are pleased to announce that Özge Atılgan Karakulak, partner in our Life Sciences and Patents and Utility Models practices, will be a featured speaker at the INTA 2026 Annual Meeting in London. She will be a speaker in the panel session titled 'Leading the IP Charge: Strategic Skills for Non-Patent Professionals,' taking place on May 6, 2026. This session addresses a critical modern challenge: leading a high-performing IP team without a technical patent background.…
Our Anti-Counterfeiting Team Participated in the "Combating Intellectual Property Crimes" Training Organized by the Turkish National Police Force
We were pleased to take part in the “Training on Combating Intellectual Property Crimes” held in Istanbul on March 27, 2026, organized under the coordination of the Intellectual Property Crime Department of the Turkish National Police Force, representing our clients as a team. The event brought together 115 enforcement officers and IP unit managers, alongside representatives of nearly 180 brands. Although hosted in Istanbul, participation extended nationwide, with officers…
Gün + Partners Recognized in The Legal 500 EMEA 2026 Rankings
We are proud to announce that Gün + Partners has achieved Top Tier rankings in 3 out of the 9 practice areas in which we are ranked. This recognition reflects the strength and dedication of our team across a broad range of practices. We are also pleased to share that several of our practitioners have been individually recognized for their excellence: Hall of Fame: Uğur Aktekin (Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment) Leading Partners: Hande Hançar (Media and…
Proud to Announce Our Recognition in The Chambers Europe & Global 2026 Guides!
This year, our firm achieved rankings across 5 practice areas in Chambers Europe 2026 and 3 practice areas in Chambers Global 2026 including Corporate/M&A, Employment, TMT, IP, Litigation, and International and Cross-Border Capabilities. 6 of our lawyers recognized in the lawyer rankings: Uğur Aktekin: Band 1 (Intellectual Property) Beril Yayla Sapan: Spotlight Ranking (Employment) Özge Atılgan Karakulak: Band 3 (Intellectual Property) Görkem Bilgin: Band 3…
Beril Yayla Sapan is Attending the IBA Annual Litigation Forum in Madrid
We are pleased to announce our participation at the IBA Annual Litigation Forum - The World has lost its Compass: we need to talk about Litigators!, which will be held in Madrid on 15-17 Apr 2026 and extend an invitation for a potential meeting during the event. Beril Yayla Sapan, partner, will be representing Gün + Partners at the conference. If you are interested in exploring collaboration opportunities or simply reconnecting, please feel free to get in touch with her. We…
Our Team Will be Attending the INTA 2026 Annual Meeting in London
Our team - Aysel Korkmaz Yatkın, Direnç Bada, Güldeniz Doğan Alkan, Hande Hançar, Mutlu Yıldırım Köse, Özge Atılgan Karakulak, Uğur Aktekin, Zeynep Seda Alhas, and Pınar Arıkan are attending INTA’s 2026 Annual Meeting in London, England. As always, the Annual Meeting will be a great opportunity to engage with fellow IP professionals, discuss the evolving global IP landscape, and reconnect with friends and colleagues from around the world. If you’ll be there and would like…
Begüm Yavuzdoğan Okumuş is Attending the 9th IBA Mergers and Acquisitions in the Technology Sector Conference in Barcelona
We are pleased to announce our participation at the 9th IBA Mergers and Acquisitions in the Technology Sector Conference, which will be held in Barcelona on 12-13 Mar 2026 and extend an invitation for a potential meeting during the event. Begüm Yavuzdoğan Okumuş will be representing Gün + Partners at the conference. If you are interested in exploring collaboration opportunities or simply reconnecting, please feel free to get in touch with her. We eagerly anticipate the…
Beril Yayla Sapan is Attending the Annual IBA Employment and Diversity Law Conference 2026 in Warsaw
We are pleased to announce our participation at the Annual IBA Employment and Diversity Law Conference 2026, which will be held in Warsaw on 22-24 Apr 2026 and extend an invitation for a potential meeting during the event. Beril Yayla Sapan, partner, will be representing Gün + Partners at the conference. If you are interested in exploring collaboration opportunities or simply reconnecting, please feel free to get in touch with her. We eagerly anticipate the prospect of…
We Support JIPA and JETRO’s Anti-Counterfeiting Mission in Türkiye
Last week, we were delighted to support and accompany the Japanese Intellectual Property Association (JIPA) and Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) during their visits to Istanbul and Izmir. In Istanbul, we held productive meetings at Bakırköy Courthouse and İstanbul Courthouse, with the Chairs of the respective Judicial Commissions, focusing on the challenges in obtaining search and seizure warrants in anti-counterfeiting processes and the increasing challenges of…
Announcement of 2026 Partner and Senior Associate Promotions
We are pleased to announce the continued growth of our firm with the promotion of Asena Aytuğ Keser, Direnç Bada and Yalçın Umut Talay to partner, and Uğur Erkırlı to senior associate, effective 1 January 2026. Asena Aytuğ Keser has specialized in complex dispute management, commercial litigation and arbitration since joining the firm in 2011, providing strategic counsel to national and international clients across a wide range of disputes, from employment-related to…
We Delivered an IP Training at the Customs General Directorate Event in Bursa
We had the privilege of participating in the General Directorate of Customs’ IP training event held in Bursa on February 04, 2026, representing more than two dozen clients, with the contributions of our Partner Zeynep Seda Alhas, Senior Associates Atahan Erkul and Kendal Basut, and Associate Atacan Yılmaz. During the training, we presented genuine and counterfeit products, engaging directly with officials to demonstrate practical differences and discuss how effective…
Gün + Partners Top Ranked by WTR 1000 2026
We have been ranked as a top-tier firm in both the “Litigation” and “Prosecution” categories in the World Trademark Review (WTR) 1000: The World’s Leading Trademark Professionals 2026. Additionally, 13 of our practitioners have been recognized as recommended individuals. The WTR 1000 identifies the top trademark practitioners and firms worldwide, serving as the definitive ‘go-to’ guide for those seeking legal trademark expertise. WTR states: Gün + Partners is one of the…