It is strictly regulated.
Web scraping in Turkey operates under a fragmented legal framework balancing intellectual property, data protection, and competition laws. While no single statute explicitly bans scraping, compliance hinges on purpose, data sensitivity, and adherence to the Turkish Personal Data Protection Law (KVKK), enforced by the Personal Data Protection Authority (KVKK). Courts increasingly scrutinize scraping for commercial use, particularly when personal data is involved, with penalties reaching up to 1.8 million TRY under KVKK. The 2026 Digital Transformation Action Plan signals stricter enforcement, emphasizing algorithmic transparency and cross-border data transfer restrictions.
Key Regulations for Web Scraping in Turkey
- Personal Data Protection Law (KVKK, Law No. 6698): Prohibits scraping personal data without explicit consent or a lawful basis (e.g., legitimate interest). Violations trigger administrative fines and potential criminal liability under Article 136 of the Turkish Penal Code.
- Electronic Communications Law (Law No. 5809): Regulates automated data collection via electronic means, requiring compliance with net neutrality principles and operator-specific terms of service.
- Competition Law (Law No. 4054): The Turkish Competition Authority (TCA) monitors scraping for anti-competitive practices, such as price monitoring that may distort markets or violate fair competition rules.
Additional considerations include:
- Terms of Service (ToS) Violations: Courts often treat ToS breaches as contractual violations, enabling website owners to seek injunctions or damages.
- Copyright Law (Law No. 5846): Scraping copyrighted content without permission may constitute infringement, especially if repurposed commercially.
- Sector-Specific Rules: Financial, healthcare, and telecom sectors face stricter data handling mandates under secondary legislation (e.g., Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency guidelines).