Official Gazette / May 20–June 10

The Ministry of Labor and Social Security has published the Communiqué on Amendments to the Communiqué on Workplace Hazard Classes Regarding Occupational Health and Safety. The production of pasta, vermicelli, and couscous products, courier activities (excluding postal services and food delivery), and the maintenance and repair of military aircraft and spacecraft have been upgraded to the hazardous workplace class.

The Insurance and Private Pension Regulation and Supervision Agency has published the Communiqué on Amendments to the Communiqué Regarding the Increase of Monetary Limits Contained in the Twelfth and Fifteenth Paragraphs of Article 30 of the Insurance Law. According to the communiqué, commission decisions on disputes under 28,000 TL in applications made to the Insurance Arbitration Commission will be final. Disputes of 28,000 TL and above may be appealed once before the commission. Disputes of 96,000 TL and above will be decided by a panel of arbitrators, and disputes of 300,000 TL and above may be taken to the Court of Cassation. These monetary limits will be increased at the beginning of each year by the TÜİK Yİ-ÜFE (Domestic Producer Price Index) rate, and the monetary limits in effect on the date the arbitrator's decision is rendered will be taken as the basis.

With Presidential Decree No. 9889, the 194-page Turkey Post-Disaster Recovery Plan has been put into effect.

The Ministry of Trade has published the Regulation on Amendments to the Regulation on Distance Contracts. With the amendment, the seller will be responsible for return shipping costs, and consumers will have a 14-day right of withdrawal without providing a reason for electronic devices such as mobile phones, smartwatches, tablets, and computers. Information regarding the mandatory application to a mediator for disputes below certain monetary limits will be included in the sales contract. However, this regulation will enter into force as of January 1, 2026.

The Ministry of Trade has published the Communiqué on the Prevention of Unfair Competition in Imports (Communiqué No: 2025/8-9-10). An investigation has been initiated into the import of junction boxes for solar panels, photovoltaic panels, and sodium gluconate and aluminum frames originating from the People's Republic of China. These communiqués, which are in the nature of an anti-dumping investigation, refer to examinations regarding whether goods are being sold below their value intentionally to bankrupt domestic producers.

Law No. 7548, the Law on Amendments to Certain Laws and Decree-Law No. 375, has been accepted by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) and published in the Official Gazette. Public officials authorized to conduct tax audits are prohibited from engaging in commercial activities for 3 years after leaving their positions with companies they have audited in the past 3 years or any company with direct/indirect ties to the partners of those companies. The RTÜK (Radio and Television Supreme Council) Executive Board has been granted the right to establish companies or become a shareholder in domestic/foreign companies, and these companies have been granted the right to freely conduct all kinds of purchases, sales, services, consulting, contracts, etc., without being subject to the Public Procurement Law.

The Ministry of Trade has published the Regulation on Amendments to the Regulation on Immovable Property Trade. Price increases in real estate advertisements placed on the internet that are not compatible with general economic data and are not based on a justifiable reason have been prohibited.

Law No. 7549, the Law on Amendments to Certain Laws and Decree-Law No. 660, has been accepted by the TBMM and published in the Official Gazette. The authority of the Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) to examine, supervise, and intervene in religious publications has been expanded. It has been regulated that the Competition Board and the Energy Market Regulatory Board will consist of members appointed by the President. The Constitutional Court had canceled these appointment powers granted to the President by Decree-Law No. 703 with its decision dated June 4, 2024. Thus, the canceled regulations have now been granted to the President by law.

The Ministry of Health has published the Regulation on Amendments to the Regulation on the Procedures and Principles Regarding the Investigation of Health Professionals Due to Medical Procedures and Practices and the Recourse of Compensation Paid by the Administration. Significant innovations have been introduced in favor of doctors. Compensation paid under the professional liability insurance of health personnel working in the public sector will now be collected from the insurance company. Recourse will be sought only if there is intent, misconduct, or gross negligence on the part of the health professional. The determination of fault will be made by a board to be established, which will also examine the criminal court decision.

The Constitutional Court, with its decision dated 27.03.2025, numbered 2024/205 E. and 2025/88 K., canceled the 20th Provisional Article of the Enforcement and Bankruptcy Law. The canceled article stipulated that if the seizure of goods held in escrow is lifted, they would be liquidated automatically by the enforcement office and that all announcements/notifications would be made via UYAP (National Judiciary Informatics System). The article was canceled on the grounds that the hasty liquidation process without the knowledge of the debtor and other rights holders, and the transfer of ownership without the knowledge of the relevant parties and rights holders, is unconstitutional.

The Constitutional Court, with its decision dated 06.03.2025, numbered 2025/61 E. and 2025/46 K., canceled the regulation in the 1st Additional Article of the Enforcement and Bankruptcy Law that stipulated that appeals/cassation should be based on the monetary limit in effect on the date of the court's decision, not the date the lawsuit was filed. However, the cancellation provision will be effective 9 months later, as of 04.03.2026.

The Constitutional Court, with its decision dated 27.03.2025, numbered 2024/197 E. and 2024/86 K., canceled sub-clause 2 of clause (a) of the 6th paragraph of Article 75 of the Turkish Penal Code. The canceled article excluded the simple form of the crime of insult and the qualified form committed against a public official from the scope of advance payment. The Constitutional Court also found it unconstitutional and canceled the application of conciliation activities instead of advance payment in investigations and lawsuits initiated before the legal regulation. However, the cancellation decision will be effective 9 months later, as of 01.03.2026.

The Constitutional Court, with its decision dated 16.01.2025, numbered 2024/128 E. and 2025/19 K., canceled a part of the 47th Provisional Article of the Civil Servants Law. The canceled regulation required that some civil servants must have been appointed before January 15, 2023, to benefit from the 3600 additional indicator. With the cancellation decision, the additional indicator difference that occurred among civil servants based on the start date of their duty has been removed. However, the cancellation decision will be effective 6 months later, as of 26.11.2025.

I will share the review of the Law on Amendments to the Law on the Execution of Penalties and Security Measures and Certain Laws (10th Judicial Package), published in the Repeated Official Gazette dated June 4, 2025, numbered 7550, and the Regulation on Amendments to the Regulation on Assignment to Open Penal Execution Institutions published by the Ministry of Justice, in tomorrow's article, due to the detailed and lengthy nature of the innovations introduced.