Insights
Recent Changes Regarding the Determination of Companies Subject to Independent Auditing
The Decision Amending the Decision on Determination of Companies Subject to Independent Auditing ("Amendment Decision") was published in the Official Gazette dated March 17, 2026. With the Amendment Decision, which entered into force as of its publication date to be applied to accounting periods starting on or after 1 January 2026, companies that are not included in the lists (I) and (II) annexed to the Decision on the Determination of Companies Subject to Independent Audit… »
A New Era in the Pricing of Human Medicinal Products: Euro Exchange Rate Increased to 65% of the Previous Year’s Average, Pricing Incentive Introduced for the First Equivalent/Generic Product
Presidential Decision No. 11031 dated 12 March 2026 (“New Pricing Decision”) has introduced significant changes to the pricing system for human medicinal products that was originally established by Decision No. 2017/9901 and subsequently updated several times. Increasing the adjustment rate used in Euro/TL calculations from 60% to 65%, allowing higher pricing for the first equivalent or generic products to encourage their faster entry into the market, and the inclusion for… »
Court of Cassation Confirms Binding Effect of Agreements Between Parties in Trademark Invalidation Claims
The plaintiff consented to the defendant’s trademark under an agreement but later sought invalidation of the earlier-filed trademark. The Court of Cassation held that the agreement covered the earlier trademark based on the parties’ actual and implied intentions. Filing an invalidation action despite prior consent was found to be contrary to the principle of good faith. In Decision No. 2025/2697 E, 2025/6214 K of 13 October 2025, the Court of Cassation (CoC) upheld the… »
The NIVEA Blue Effect: Can Increased Distinctiveness Create Likelihood of Confusion Based on Common Colours?
Higher Board of the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office upheld Beiersdorf’s opposition against a later trademark sharing NIVEA's distinctive blue-and-white composition The Board highlighted the later mark could cause a likelihood of confusion with NIVEA, give the earlier’s strong distinctiveness and recognisability from its blue and white colour scheme This precedent confirms colour and composition similarities can be decisive in trademark disputes when earlier marks have… »
Termination of Employment Contract Due to an Employee’s Frequent Medical Reports
The frequent and prolonged medical leave taken by an employee often adversely affects the normal functioning of the workplace and renders the continuation of the employment relationship challenging. Such persistent absenteeism may lead the employer to terminate the employment contract on the grounds of either just cause or a valid reason. Pursuant to Article 18 of the Labor Act No. 4857, the employment contract of an employee benefiting from job security provisions may be… »
A New Decision of The Constitutional Court on The Turkish Competition Board’s on-site Inspections
One of the most debated issues in Turkish competition law in 2023 was the decision of the Constitutional Court dated 23 March 2023 (Application No. 2019/40991), in which the Court held that the on-site inspection conducted at the premises of Ford Otomotiv Sanayi A.Ş. violated the constitutional right to the immunity of residence due to its unlawfulness. Following that decision, significant uncertainty arose as to whether the legislature would amend the relevant statutory… »
New Real-World Data and Pharmacoeconomic Studies for NPP Products
On 19 January 2026, the Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency announced a new initiative focusing on real-world data and pharmacoeconomic analyses for medicines supplied from abroad within the scope of named patient programs. The initiative applies to medicines obtained under the regulation governing the supply of medicines from outside Türkiye, which are typically used in situations where no authorized or available alternative exists in the domestic market and access… »
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… »
News and Events
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…
Gün + Partners Ranked in The Legal 500 2025
We are proud to have 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: 2 of our lawyers are listed in the 'Hall of Fame', 3 are recognized as 'Leading Individuals', 2 are ranked among the 'Next Generation Partners', and 5 are named 'Leading Associates'. The Legal 500 is one of the most prestigious…
Beste Turan Kurtoğlu Spoke at the Patent Report LIVE #9 Event
The 10 patent topics that stood out in patent law in 2024 were discussed at the PatentEffect Patent Report LIVE #9 event held on March 26. Our senior associate Beste Turan Kurtoğlu from the Patent and Utility Models team evaluated the impact of the CJEU's long-arm jurisdiction interpretation on the patent world, the Italian Supreme Court's assessment of the Bolar Exception, and the importance of evidence collection in patent disputes.
Begüm Yavuzdoğan Okumuş and Yalçın Umut Talay spoke at the ARTED Webinar on Artificial Intelligence in the Medical Device Industry
Our partner Begüm Yavuzdoğan Okumuş and our managing associate Yalçın Umut Talay spoke at the "Artificial Intelligence in the Medical Device Industry Webinar" organized by ARTED. The webinar explored the rising role of artificial intelligence technologies in the medical device sector and the impact of developments in this field on the industry.
We Are Attending the CITMA Spring Conference
We are pleased to announce our participation at the CITMA Spring Conference, which will be held in London on 20-21 Mar 2025. Uğur Aktekin, partner, and Baran Güney, managing associate, 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 them.
We Attended the CITMA Spring Conference: Navigating the Digital Frontier Event
Uğur Aktekin and İrem Girenes Yücesoy participated in the CITMA Spring Conference: Navigating the Digital Frontier event held in London, where approximately 200 speakers and delegates from 25 countries participated in various sessions.