Insights
Can the Limits of the Lawful Exercise of Patent Rights Be Narrowed by Allegations of Unfair Competition?
An Assessment in Light of a Recent Court of Cassation Decision Undoubtedly, the initiation of patent infringement actions by patent holders for the purpose of protecting their exclusive rights, as well as the notification of third parties outside the proceedings who are suspected of involvement in infringing activities, fall within the scope of the rights conferred by patent law. Nevertheless, particularly in disputes between originator and generic pharmaceutical companies… »
Significant Amendments to the Communiqué on Mergers and Acquisitions
With the Communiqué (Communiqué No: 2026/2) (“Update”), published by the Turkish Competition Authority (“Authority”) in the Official Gazette dated 11 February 2026 and numbered 33165, which foresees amendments to the Communiqué Concerning Mergers and Acquisitions Requiring the Approval of the Competition Board (Communiqué No: 2010/4), significant changes have been introduced for the purpose of determining the transactions subject to the approval of the Competition Board. In… »
Combating Counterfeit and Smuggled Drugs
Foreign pharmaceutical trademarks, in principle, are registered in the name of the companies in the countries where they are established, and trademark protection procedures are managed by those companies. Although affiliates in Türkiye are not a party to trademark protection proceedings, since they become the marketing authorization holders of the drug, they are considered the relevant addressee of the Ministry of Health (“MoH”) in all transactions related to the… »
Changes to Minimum Wage, Severance Payments and Administrative Fines in 2026
Each year begins with an adjustment of the minimum wage, severance pay, and administrative fines set out under the Labour Act. This article provides an overview of the 2026 changes, which came into effect on 1 January 2026. Minimum wage In 2025 the monthly minimum wage rate was 26,005.50 Turkish liras (gross). As of 1 January 2026, this has increased to 33,030.00 Turkish liras (gross). The new rate applies from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026. The minimum wage applies to… »
Key Trends in Advertisement Board Decisions in 2025
As a result of the effective supervision carried out by the Advertisement Board (“Board”) in 2025, a significant number of guiding decisions were rendered in the field of commercial advertising and unfair commercial practices. The substantial increase in administrative fines that the Board may impose, introduced by the amendments to the Law on the Protection of Consumers dated 30 October 2024, has markedly strengthened the effectiveness and deterrent impact of the Board’s… »
Public Policy Review in Foreign Court Judgments and Arbitral Awards: Emerging Trends in 2025 Case Law
One of the most frequently raised objections in proceedings for the recognition and enforcement of foreign court and arbitral awards, as well as in actions for the setting aside of foreign arbitral awards, is the allegation that the decision is contrary to public policy. Owing to its broad and interpretative nature, the concept of public policy has become a standard line of defence invoked in almost every recognition, enforcement, or annulment proceeding. Until the Court of… »
The Euro Value Applied to Pharmaceutical Prices Has Been Increased by 16.9%
On 19 December 2025, Presidential Decision No. 10702 amending the Decision on the Pricing of Medicinal Products for Human Use (“Decision”), which was originally put into force by the Council of Ministers’ Decision dated 6 February 2017 and numbered 2017/9901, was published in the Official Gazette. With this amendment, changes have been introduced regarding (i) profit margins applied to warehouse and pharmacy sales prices and (ii) the Euro exchange rate used in the pricing of… »
Turkish Court of Cassation Invalidates Motor Oil Trademark Application in Monster Energy Drink Dispute
In a recent decision of the Turkish Court of Cassation (Merit No. 2024/6138, Decision No. 2025/3800), the Court conducted a holistic comparison between a globally renowned energy drink brand and a motor oil brand, examining all aspects, from the similarity of the goods to the colors and figurative elements used in the disputed trademarks. Background The dispute involved, on the one side, the plaintiff’s well-known marks in the energy drinks sector – the word mark “MONSTER… »
Significant Developments in the Implementation of the Turkish Commercial Code in 2026
Existing Facilitations for Capital Loss and Over-Indebtedness Calculations are Extended until 2026 Article 376 of the Turkish Commercial Code numbered 6102 (the “TCC”) regulates the measures to be taken and the precautions to be implemented by the board of directors of the company, and the procedures to be followed in cases where the company suffers capital loss or becomes over-indebted, in order to ensure the protection of the financial structure of the company and to secure… »
New Regulation on Plant Protection Products in Türkiye: Digital Governance and Traceability Model
Plant protection products are defined in legislation in a broad and highly technical manner. They refer to preparations offered to users in various forms which are used to protect plants and plant products against harmful organisms or to prevent the effects of such organisms, excluding products intended solely for plant nutrition. These products may also affect plant growth, control or prevent undesirable developments in plants or plant parts, or eliminate unwanted plants.… »
Regulatory Landscape of Data Protection and Artificial Intelligence in Türkiye
1- Major Legal Developments For industry stakeholders, most of the year was spent on implementing the developments from last year into their practice, as the most recent major legal developments came around at the end of 2024. The Personal Data Protection Law (the “Law”) is the main regulatory framework for data privacy in Türkiye. It was ratified in 2016, and the Personal Data Protection Authority (the “DPA”) was established by the Law. In 2024, the Law had some major… »
Polo Player v Jockey: Analysing The Turkish Trademark Department’s Device Marks Decision
The Trademarks Department of the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office (the Trademarks Department) has recently highlighted, in a dispute where the similarity of device marks and the well-known status argument were primary issues, that the evidence submitted in response to a proof-of-use request proved to be critically important to the success prospects of the opposition file. Opposition grounds and device mark differences The device trademark application shown below… »
News and Events
We are Attending the 22nd IBA Annual International Mergers & Acquisitions Conference in New York
We are pleased to announce our participation at the 22nd IBA Annual International Mergers & Acquisitions Conference, which will be held in New York on 4-5 Jun 2025 and extend an invitation for a potential meeting during the event. Görkem Bilgin, 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 him. We eagerly anticipate the prospect…
Kendal Basut Was Recently Featured in the RAI Documentary, Punti di Vista – The Threat of Counterfeiting to Made in Italy
We are pleased to share that our Senior Associate, Kendal Basut, was recently featured in the RAI documentary program Punti di Vista, aired on April 9, 2025. In this episode, Kendal participated in a discussion addressing the increasing threat that counterfeiting poses to Italian industries amid rising protectionist measures and new tariffs. Alongside government officials, economic experts, and industry leaders, Kendal provided insights into the legal implications and…
Güldeniz Doğan Alkan Spoke at the Webinar Organized by TOBBUYUM
Our partner Güldeniz Doğan Alkan spoke at the webinar titled 'Dispute Resolution Mechanism in Domain Name Disputes,' organized by TOBBUYUM. The “Dispute Resolution Mechanism in Domain Name Disputes” webinar provided participants with valuable information on the methods that can be followed and the current legal procedures for resolving domain name disputes. With contributions from experts in domain name registration, infringements, and resolution methods, participants had…
We are Attending the 9th IBA Global Entrepreneurship Conference in Milan
We are pleased to announce our participation at the 9th IBA Global Entrepreneurship Conference, which will be held in Milan on 18-20 May 2025 and extend an invitation for a potential meeting during the event. Görkem Bilgin, 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 him. We eagerly anticipate the prospect of meeting you…
We Co-Hosted “Online Brand Protection in Türkiye (Webinar)” with CSC and ICANN.
In this webinar, experts from ICANN, Gün + Partners, and CSC Digital Brand Services covered: ICANN Update: An overview of the latest developments at ICANN and key updates from the ICANN81 Annual Meeting. Digital Asset Protection: Key strategies for protecting digital presence. Online Enforcement: Updates on building a corporate domain name strategy, with a focus on Türkiye. .COM.TR Liberalization and the Launch of .TR: Its impact on brand owners. IP Enforcement in the…
We Are the "Firm of the Year" by Managing IP EMEA Awards 2025
Gün + Partners was awarded the Türkiye Trademark Disputes Firm of the Year at the Managing IP European, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) Awards 2025. The Managing IP Awards programme recognises remarkable intellectual property achievements and developments in the last year. Now in its 20th year, the awards cover several IP practice areas and more than 50 jurisdictions.
We Attended the 9th ICC European Conference on International Arbitration in Paris
We were pleased to announce our participation at the 9th ICC European Conference on International Arbitration, which was held in Paris on 7-9 Apr 2025, and extended an invitation for a potential meeting during the event. Aysel Korkmaz Yatkın and Beril Yayla Sapan, partners, represented Gün + Partners at the conference.
We Attended the 26th Annual IBA Arbitration Day in London
We were pleased to announce our participation at the 26th Annual IBA Arbitration Day, which was held in London on 3-4 Apr 2025, and extended an invitation for a potential meeting during the event. Aysel Korkmaz Yatkın, partner, represented Gün + Partners at the conference.
We Attended the Annual IBA Employment and Diversity Law Conference 2025 in Marrakech
We were pleased to announce our participation at the Annual IBA Employment and Diversity Law Conference 2025, which was held in Marrakech on 2-4 Apr 2025, and extended an invitation for a potential meeting during the event. Beril Yayla Sapan, partner, and Asena Aytuğ Keser, managing associate, represented Gün + Partners at the conference.
We Attended the 8th IBA Mergers and Acquisitions in the Technology Sector Conference in Geneva
We were pleased to announce our participation at the 8th IBA Mergers and Acquisitions in the Technology Sector Conference, which was held in Geneva on 13-14 Mar 2025, and extended an invitation for a potential meeting during the event. Begüm Yavuzdoğan Okumuş, partner, represented Gün + Partners at the conference.
We Will Attend the 11th Annual IBA World Life Sciences Conference in Boston
The 11th Annual IBA World Life Sciences Conference will take place on 11 - 13 June 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Özge Atılgan Karakulak, partner in our Life Sciences practice and Advisory Board Member of the IBA Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law Committee, will be the co-chair of the conference. Topics will include: Trends in gene therapy and personalized medicine Navigating the Intersection of Patent Strategies and Antitrust Regulations in the…
We Are Attending the IBA Annual Litigation Forum: The future of litigation in Singapore
We are pleased to share that we will be participating in the IBA Annual Litigation Forum: The Future of Litigation, taking place in Singapore from April 9-11, 2025. We would like to extend an invitation to meet during the event. Mehmet Gün, the Founder and Senior Partner of Gün + Partners, as well as the Founder and President of the Better Justice Association and Founding President and Chairman of the High Advisory Board of the Istanbul Arbitration Association (ISTA) will…