PRESIDENT REDUCES TAX ON FOREIGN CURRENCY PURCHASES FROM 1% BACK TO 0.2% :

With the Presidential Decree numbered 3031 published in the Official Gazette dated 30 September 2020, the BITT rate is now reduced from 1% back to 0.2%, to be effective from the date of publication of the decree.

FINAL WARNING AND TIME EXTENSION FOR DATA CONTROLLERS TO COMPLY WITH REGISTRATION OBLIGATIONS:

Having identified that some of the data controllers have not been able to complete their registration with VERBIS (i.e. the data controllers’ registry) due to Covid-19 related reasons, the Personal Data Protection Board granted a de facto time extension to the data controllers for fulfilling their registration obligations. The decision no. 2020/760 and dated 1 September 2020 on the “extension” was announced on the Board’s website yesterday.

RESTRICTIONS ON DIVIDEND DISTRIBUTIONS TO CONTINUE FOR ANOTHER THREE MONTHS:

The Presidential Decree numbered 2948 published in the Official Gazette dated 18 September 2020 extended the term for the restrictions on the distribution of dividends from 30 September 2020 to 31 December 2020.

TERMS OF TERMINATION PROHIBITION AND MANDATORY UNPAID LEAVE EXTENDED AGAIN:

The Presidential Decree numbered 2930 published in the Official Gazette dated 3 September 2020 extended the terms for termination prohibition and mandatory unpaid leave for two months

TERM OF SHORT-TERM WORKING SUBSIDY EXTENDED YET AGAIN:

The Presidential Decree numbered 2915 published in the Official Gazette dated 30 August 2020 extended the period of short-term working subsidy for 2 months for the same employees under the same conditions in workplaces that applied for short-term working before 30 June 2020 due to force majeure events originating from Covid-19.

DEADLINES FOR THE CENTRALIZED COMMERCIAL MESSAGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ARE EXTENDED AGAIN:

Pursuant to the Regulation Amending the Regulation on Commercial Communication and Commercial Electronic Messages which was published in the Official Gazette today, the deadline for registering the opt-in consents of recipients with IYS is extended again to 1 December 2020.

REMINDER: MARKETING CONSENTS MUST BE TRANSFERRED TO THE COMMERCIAL MESSAGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM BY 31 AUGUST 2020:

Accordingly, our clients who deliver electronic commercial messages must register with IYS and transfer the opt-in consents collected from their recipients to IYS  by 31 August 2020.  Opt-in consents that have not been transferred to IYS until 31 August 2020 will be considered invalid as of 1 September 2020.

PARLIAMENT FINALLY AMENDS INTERNET LAW: NEW SOCIAL MEDIA REGULATIONS AND REMOVAL OF CONTENT:

The Amending Law does not introduce a material change in scope of the Internet Law, which already covered social media operators as hosting providers. However, it considerably increases the administrative and judicial fines for Foreign Social Network Providers and obliges them to open communication channels in Turkey.

TURKISH DATA PROTECTION BOARD RECOGNIZES RIGHT TO BE FORGOTTEN :

The Data Protection Board has recently announced its decision numbered 2020/481 on its website, providing its view on the right to be forgotten. The Board has defined “right to be forgotten” as a request for delisting results displayed on a search engine when an individual’s name and surname is searched therein. The Board has also determined the criteria it will take into account in reviewing cases concerning right to be forgotten requests.

TERMS OF TERMINATION PROHIBITION, MANDATORY UNPAID LEAVE AND SHORT-TERM WORKING EXTENDED YET AGAIN:

The terms of the prohibition on termination of employment contract, mandatory unpaid leave, and the financial aid for employees on mandatory unpaid leave have been extended from 17 August 2020 to 17 September 2020.