The Turkish KVKK has introduced several major updates for 2026. These changes affect enforcement measures and incident reporting requirements for data processors.

The authority announced that it revised the fines for a range of violations, including failure to register as a data controller, non-compliance with security requirements, breaches of data subject rights, terms of cross-border data transfers, and failure to comply with KVKK’s decisions.

Under the updated framework, companies could face a fine between TRY 83,000 and TRY 5,331,000 for failure to register as data processors. Non-compliance with data security requirements or KVKK’s decision could result in a fine between TRY 166,000 and TRY 5,331,000. Fines between TRY 83,000 and TRY 2,665,000 could be set for violations of data subject rights.

On average, fines have increased by 25.49% compared to last year, which is the lowest increase since 2021, when fines increased only by 9.11%. The highest increase was in 2023, when fines grew by 122.93%.

Financial penalties are one of the tools to ensure compliance with data protection regulation across Turkish companies. The authority highlighted that businesses in the finance, healthcare, e-commerce, and technology sectors must adhere to legal demands and ensure the safety of personal data. It is worth noting that such companies store and process large troves of confidential records due to the nature of their business activities.

Another major update is the decision No. 2025/2451 on data breach announcements.

Previously, data controllers were legally bound to notify the data protection authority in case of data breach detection. Also, they were required to inform data subjects about an incident. Companies were obliged to notify the KVKK in 72 hours from the date of incident discovery. The authority must assess several factors before deciding whether to make a public announcement. These include how many people are affected, the type and extent of the data exposed, and the overall nature of the incident.

Such announcements pursue a goal of limiting potential damage to individuals whose personal data was exposed. After receiving notification, affected people can take measures to limit potential damage.

The Decision No. 2025/2451 makes a significant change to the announcement process. Per new rules, the KVKK will publish incident announcements for a maximum period of 60 days. Such an announcement could be removed from the Authority’s website sooner if a data controller demonstrates that it notified affected data subjects in a timely and efficient manner.

This change is intended to encourage companies to act proactively, reduce potential harm to their reputation, and support the development of a strong and mature data protection culture. On top of that, failure to notify the data protection authority and affected data could lead to a fine between TRY 256,357 and TRY 17,092,242.

As we can see, the KVKK uses financial penalties and actions aimed at limiting reputational harm as tools to ensure that data protection practices are effectively implemented across Turkish businesses.

To assist with compliance, the SearchInform team has developed Risk Monitor, the Next-Gen DLP solution. It is a comprehensive platform empowered with data classification, user access rights management, watermarks, and data loss prevention capabilities. The solution assists in ensuring compliance with international regulations and country-specific laws, including Turkey’s Law on the Protection of Personal Data No. 6698, Algeria’s Law No. 18-07, and Saudi Arabia’s PDPL.

Transform compliance from a box-ticking exercise into meaningful, effective data security processes. Elevate your approach and take control of compliance with Next-Gen DLP.