Both the Turkish Data Protection Law (KVKK) and the GDPR impose concrete obligations on companies processing personal data. Non-compliance can lead to administrative fines, reputational damage and loss of trust in commercial relationships. The core steps of a compliance programme are:
1. Build a personal data inventory
Which department processes which personal data, for what purpose, on what legal basis, and with whom is it shared? This inventory is the foundation of compliance; every subsequent step builds on it.
2. Complete registry obligations
Data controllers within the scope of the registration requirement must register with the relevant registry (VERBIS in Türkiye) and keep their records up to date.
3. Prepare privacy notices and consent mechanisms
Separate, accurate privacy notices should be prepared for employees, customers, visitors and business partners, reflecting the actual processing activity. Explicit consent should be obtained only where genuinely required, and as a separate declaration of will.
4. Review your contracts
Supplier and service agreements involving data transfers need data processing clauses; international data transfers require compliant mechanisms such as standard contractual clauses or undertakings approved by the competent authority.
5. Implement safeguards and train your team
Access controls, retention and destruction policies, and a data breach response plan should be in place, and all staff should receive regular training. Compliance is not a one-off project but a continuously running process.