Insights
Recent Amendments to the Internet Law numbered 5651 Concerning Social Media and Game Platforms
Implementing legal limitations on the use of social media by children has been the topic of ongoing debate around the world for some time now. Law No. 5651 on the Regulation of Internet Broadcasts and Prevention of Crimes Committed through Such Broadcasts (the “Law No: 5651/ Internet Law”) contains many provisions regulating online services used by millions every day. The main objective of the Law was to stipulate quick and effective provisional measures against illegal… »
Functional Equivalence Across Jurisdictions: Convergence Between Turkish Patent Law and the Unified Patent Court
Barely two years after its operational launch, the Unified Patent Court (“UPC”) has already begun shaping a transnational doctrine of patent infringement by equivalence. Between late 2024 and mid-2025, four landmark first-instance decisions — Plant-e v Bioo (The Hague LD), Brussels LD CFI 376/2023, Mannheim LD CFI 471/2023, and N.J. Diffusion v Gisela Mayer (Paris LD) — established, refined, and finally harmonised the analytical framework for assessing functional equivalence… »
An Important European Precedent: Legal Consequences of Statements Concerning Competitors and Its Implications for Türkiye
In today’s business world, competition among companies is shaped not only by the quality of their products and services, but also by their communication strategies with the public. However, the legal boundaries of such statements should be carefully determined. Statements made about competitors, particularly in Europe, may constitute “defamation” which are evaluated within the scope of competition law and provisions concerning unfair competition and may lead to serious legal… »
An Assessment of the Unified Patent Court’s International Jurisdiction and the Sovereign Response of Third States in Light of Recent Case Law
The scope of the international jurisdiction of the Unified Patent Court (“UPC”) has, in recent years, become one of the most striking and controversial issues in patent litigation. Having commenced its operations in 2023, the Court was established with the objective of creating a uniform and centralized patent adjudication system across Europe. However, through its recent decisions, the UPC appears not to confine its jurisdiction to Contracting Member States alone, but rather… »
Schrödinger’s Paradox in the Patent World: Can a Marketed Product Fall Outside the Prior Art?
On 2 July 2025, the Enlarged Board of Appeal of the European Patent Office (“EPO”), in its decision G 1/23, clarified whether a product already placed on the market, but whose internal structure cannot be analysed or reproduced by the skilled person, may nevertheless be excluded from the state of the art in the assessment of inventive step. In doing so, the Board added a new dimension to the ongoing debate following decision G 1/92. The dispute giving rise to the decision… »
Fixed Exchange Rate in Pricing of Pharmaceuticals and its Impact
The prices of pharmaceuticals to be launched on the market are determined in accordance with the Decision on the Pricing of Medicinal Products for Human Use (“Decision”) and the Communiqué on the Pricing of Medicinal Products for Human Use (“Communiqué”) dated 29 September 2017, published by the Ministry of Health, which has been authorised to regulate this area. The Decision foresees a reference pricing system in which the lowest wholesaler price for the relevant product in… »
Market Availability of Products and Parallel Trade
Counterfeit and illicitly traded health products remained a persistent concern in Türkiye throughout 2025, as reflected both in enforcement statistics and in external reporting on supply chain integrity. Despite the legal prohibition on the online sale of pharmaceutical products, there has been a noticeable increase in the circulation of counterfeit medicines through online channels, alongside growing reports of products being illicitly exported from Türkiye to foreign… »
Plant Protection Products: Digital Governance and Traceability
Plant protection products (“PPPs”) are defined in legislation in a broad and highly technical manner. They include preparations used to protect plants and plant products against harmful organisms or to prevent their effects, excluding products intended solely for plant nutrition. These products may also influence plant growth, control or prevent undesirable developments, or eliminate unwanted plants, and typically consist of one or more active ingredients that work… »
Food Supplements
Following the structural changes introduced in 2023 to the regulatory framework governing health claims on food and dietary supplements, the subsequent period has been characterised less by new legislative intervention and more by regulatory consolidation and practical implementation. The removal of mandatory prior administrative approval for health claims has remained in effect, reshaping the compliance landscape by shifting greater responsibility onto economic… »
Healthcare System Reforms
In July 2025, Türkiye introduced Law No. 7557, bringing wide-ranging updates to the healthcare system. These reforms aim to modernise services, improve efficiency, and strengthen oversight, responding to growing healthcare demands and technological developments. For the life sciences sector, several provisions are particularly relevant: Physicians and dentists are now limited to practicing in a maximum of two healthcare institutions, marking a shift toward tighter workforce… »
Medical Devices: New Sanctions and Technical Service Governance
Recent regulatory developments in the medical devices sector point to a shift from procedural compliance toward enforcement-driven market discipline, coupled with a gradual restructuring of technical service governance. A major inflection point in this trajectory was the entry into force of Law No. 7557 in July 2025, which introduced Additional Article 20 to the Basic Law on Health Services. This provision significantly expanded the administrative sanctions framework… »
Interactions with Healthcare Professionals, Transfer of Values and Conditions of Payment
Interactions between life sciences companies and healthcare professionals (“HCPs”) in Türkiye continue to be governed by a well-established regulatory framework. In the pharmaceutical sector, promotional activities remain subject to the Regulation on the Promotion of Medicinal Products for Human Use, which strictly limits promotion to healthcare professionals and prohibits direct or indirect advertising to the public. Engagements such as consultancy and service arrangements… »
News and Events
Baran Güney Spoke at the “Global Advertising Law Year in Review” Webinar by GALA
Baran Güney, managing associate in our TMT practice, spoke on key developments in advertising law, including regulatory enforcement priorities, privacy issues, artificial intelligence, influencer marketing, “dark patterns,” and food and beverage advertising, at the “Global Advertising Law Year in Review” webinar by GALA.
Begüm Yavuzdoğan Okumuş, Spoke at the UN Global Compact Türkiye Webinar
Our partner Begüm Yavuzdoğan Okumuş spoke as a panelist at the “Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence – Solutions and Good Practices” session of the webinar organized by UN Global Compact Türkiye. The panel focused on ethical decision-making processes in AI-based applications, the prevention of bias and discrimination, and mechanisms for transparency and accountability, and included the sharing of practical examples and case studies.
Gün + Partners Ranked in the 2025 Edition of Benchmark Litigation Europe
We are proud to be recognized among the leading law firms, and our founding partner Mehmet Gün and our partners Barış Kalaycı, Hande Hançar, Selin Sinem Erciyas, and Özge Atılgan Karakulak are recognized as Litigation Stars of 2025 in Turkey by Euromoney’s Benchmark Litigation. Benchmark Litigation recognises the most distinguished law firms and lawyers for their dispute resolution work over the past 12 months.
Gün + Partners Ranked in the IAM Patent 1000 - The World's Leading Patent Professionals 2025
The 2025 edition of the IAM Patent 1000: The World’s Leading Patent Professionals has been released. We are proud to announce that we have been recognised as the top tier firm and our 8 practitioners are recognized as the leading individuals in the IAM Patent 1000 - The World's Leading Patent Professionals 2025. The IAM Patent 1000: The World’s Leading Patent Professionals is a comprehensive guide to top private practice patent experts and expert witnesses worldwide, based…
Mehmet Gün Listed in IAM Strategy 300 2026
We’re proud to share that Mehmet Gün has been recognized in the IAM Strategy 300: The World’s Leading IP Strategists 2026. This prestigious list highlights individuals who are shaping the future of IP through innovative and high-impact portfolio strategies. The IAM Strategy 300 identifies global leaders who excel at developing and implementing approaches that unlock the full value of intellectual property.
We Attended the INTA 2025 Policy Dialogue Panel
“INTA 2025 Policy Dialogue: Intellectual Property Rights and the Protection of Public Health: From Counterfeit/Falsified Medicines to Data Exclusivity” panel was held on 24 November 2025, hosted by the International Trademark Association (INTA) and the Association of Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (AİFD). The opening remarks were delivered by Uğur Aktekin, our partner and a member of INTA’s Famous and Well-Known Marks Committee. The session “Combating…
Our 2025-2026 Legal Trainees Joined Us
We are pleased to announce that our 2025–2026 legal trainee associates have just commenced their traineeship following successful completion of their exams. We wholeheartedly congratulate and welcome them on board!
2025 Policy Dialogue: Safeguarding Intellectual Property Rights & Public Health
Explore the intersection of intellectual property (IP) and the pharmaceutical sector at the upcoming 2025 Policy Dialogue: Safeguarding Intellectual Property Rights & Public Health: From Falsified/Counterfeit Medicines to Data Exclusivity, taking place in Istanbul on November 24, 2025. This in-person event, hosted by INTA and the Association of Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (AIFD), brings together industry leaders, government officials, and legal experts for…
Uğur Aktekin Moderated the Panel on Well-Known Marks, and Pınar Arıkan Moderated the Panel on Nontraditional Marks at the INTA Policy Dialogue in Istanbul
The 2024 Policy Dialogue: Well-Known Marks and Nontraditional Trademarks in Türkiye, organized by the International Trademark Association (INTA), was successfully hosted at İstanbul Bilgi University. The event featured a series of insightful discussions focused on critical issues in trademark protection. The event started with the opening remarks of Tat Louembe and Gül Okutan Nilsson and followed by the keynote speech of Güler Ayyıldız Dalma. The first panel, titled…
Dicle Doğan to Speak at ARTED’s “Anti-Corruption and Interactions with Healthcare Professionals” Training
Our Managing Associate Dicle Doğan, who spoke at the first session of the “Anti-Corruption and Interactions with Healthcare Professionals” training held on November 11, 2025, will once again take part as a speaker on December 2, 2025. The training will serve as an important platform for strengthening ethical standards and fostering transparent and trustworthy relationships across the sector. Participants will gain valuable insights into practical strategies and ethical…
Mehmet Gün, Özge Atılgan Karakulak and Selin Sinem Erciyas are Listed in IAM Global Leaders 2026
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 2026. 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…
Our Lawyers Have Been Recognised as Mondaq Thought Leading Authors Autumn 2025
We are delighted our lawyers have been recognised as Mondaq Thought Leading Authors for the below categories at the Mondaq Autumn 2025 awards. Environmental Law - Eco-Friendly Or Eco-Fiction?Finance & Banking - Amendments to the Insurance Agencies RegulationFood, Drugs, Healthcare, Life Sciences - Notification Obligation in Case of Supply Interruption of Medical DevicesIntellectual Property - The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Trademark EnforcementMedia, Telecoms…