Official Gazette / June 29 – July 5

Amendments to the Planned Areas Zoning Regulation have made it mandatory to provide space for elevators in 3-story buildings and to install elevators in buildings with 4 or more stories. For structures built with office or bureau permits, the possibility of obtaining a renovation permit for conversion into residential use within one year has been introduced, provided that the residential usage rate does not exceed 60% of the entire parcel.

With the amendments made to the Regulation on Commercial Advertising and Unfair Commercial Practices, targeted advertising using profiling methods based on personal data directed at children has been banned. Furthermore, the use of general terms such as "environmentally friendly" is prohibited unless documents obtained from authorized institutions or accredited bodies are presented. A rule has been introduced requiring that digital characters be labeled as AI-generated. It is also prohibited to portray digital copies of real persons as if they had personally tested a product.

With the amendment to the Highway Traffic Regulation, it is prohibited to position accessories and items in the driver's field of vision in a way that obstructs visibility. However, vehicle cameras and phone holders placed at the very bottom of the windshield are excluded from this ban. The use of audio devices in vehicles in a way that allows sound to escape outside the vehicle is prohibited. Additionally, the presence or use of additional speakers, amplifiers, subwoofers, and similar sound systems in vehicles is banned.

In a precedent-setting decision, the Council of State ruled that in cases where an objection is filed against administrative fines, such as traffic tickets, and the fine has not yet become final, the administration cannot issue a payment order to initiate collection.

By Presidential Decree;

- The Special Consumption Tax (ÖTV) regulation, which was applied such that 75% of the increase in fuel products was not reflected in the pump price (only 25% was reflected), has been amended. In the event of an increase in domestic refinery prices, it has been decided that 50% of the increase will be reflected in the pump price until July 31, 2026, 75% will be reflected until September 30, 2026, and as of October 1, 2026, any potential price increases will be fully reflected in the pump price.

- The taxation system for cigarettes and tobacco products has been changed. The regulation lowered the relative ÖTV rate on cigarettes. It was decided that the automatic ÖTV update based on the Domestic Producer Price Index (Yİ-ÜFE), which is normally applied in the July-December period, will not be carried out this year. However, the aforementioned automatic interim hike will be applied to tobacco products other than cigarettes. Additionally, a hike based on Yİ-ÜFE will be applied to alcoholic beverages during the same period.

- It has been decided that patients undergoing smoking cessation treatment will be able to benefit from designated medications (Nicotine Replacement Preparations and drugs containing Bupropion HCl, Varenicline, and Cytisine) free of charge, without the requirement of any social security coverage.

With the amendments made to the Regulation on Aromatherapeutic Products, the Regulation on Licensing of Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products, and the Regulation on Medicinal Herbal Teas, the sale of aromatherapeutic pure essential oils and medicinal herbs outside of pharmacies has been banned. The application authority, previously open only to medical professionals, has been extended to agricultural engineers, nutrition and dietetics specialists, and chemical engineers. Furthermore, a rule has been introduced requiring scientific evaluation reports to be prepared by medical school graduates who hold a master's or doctoral degree. A requirement has been introduced for medicinal herbal teas to be licensed by the Ministry of Health and sold exclusively through pharmacies.

The Wellness Services Regulation has been published, establishing the legal requirements for the establishment of wellness centers and wellness units. Wellness centers will be able to prepare personalized healthy living programs based on individuals' age, health status, lifestyle, and risk factors. Services such as physiotherapy, exercise counseling, speech and language therapy, rehabilitation, psychological support, art therapies, thermal applications, and traditional and complementary medicine practices may be offered. In the wellness centers to be established, physicians and other healthcare professionals will be able to provide services according to their own areas of expertise. The wellness centers to be established will be able to cooperate with hospitals and medical centers.

A communiqué on Bringing Certain Assets into the Economy has been published, setting July 31, 2027, as the deadline for benefiting from tax reductions or zero-tax advantages by bringing money, gold, foreign currency, securities, and other capital market instruments located abroad into Turkey, as per the law enacted in recent weeks.

With the amendment to the Regulation on the Sale of Medical Devices, the sale of contact lenses online has been transitioned to a procedure where sales are made only through the websites of authorized optician establishments and with a prescription.