The enactment of the Law Amending the Social Services Law and Certain Other Laws No. 7578 (“Law No. 7578”), published in the Official Gazette No. 33240 on May 1, 2026, introduces sweeping amendments across multiple legislative frameworks.
Affecting primarily the Labor Law No. 4857 (“Law No. 4857”), the Internet Law No. 5651(“Law No. 5651”), and the Child Protection Law No. 5395 (“Law No. 5395”), this legislation imposes rigorous new compliance obligations on employers, digital networks, and gaming platforms. Below is an in-depth legal analysis of the statutory changes and immediate corporate requirements.
- Substantive Amendments to Employment and Social Security Laws
Law No. 7578 fundamentally alters parental leave rights under Article 74 and Additional Article 2 of the Law No. 4857.
- Maternity Leave Extension: Post-natal statutory maternity leave is doubled from eight (8) to sixteen (16) weeks, extending the total mandatory maternity leave to twenty-four (24) weeks.
- Pre-Natal Working Capacity: With documented medical approval, pregnant employees may now work up to two (2) weeks (previously three (3) weeks) before the expected date of birth. Unused pre-natal leave periods are strictly transferred to post-natal leave.
- Paternity Leave: Paid statutory paternity leave is increased from five (5) to ten (10) days.
- Foster Care Entitlements: Employees acting as foster parents are now legally entitled to ten (10) days of unpaid leave upon the child’s official placement.
- Transitional Provision: A specific transitional mechanism is established for employees whose statutory maternity leave expired before May 1, 2026, but who have not yet completed twenty four (24) weeks since childbirth (applicable to births on or after April 1, 2026). These employees are entitled to an additional eight (8) weeks of leave, provided they submit a formal request to their employer within ten (10) working days from the law’s effective date.
- Rigorous Obligations for Social Network Providers (Law No. 5651)
Amendments to Law No. 5651 mandate strict child protection mechanisms for Social Network Providers (“SNPs”).
- Age Verification & Under Fifteen (15) Ban: SNPs are strictly prohibited from providing services to children under fifteen (15). For users aged fifteen (15) and over, SNPs must build a segregated service architecture supported by robust age verification mechanisms.
- Statutory Parental Controls: Mandatory tools must be implemented to allow parents to monitor screen time, restrict account settings, and approve all paid transactions (e.g., subscriptions).
- One (1)-Hour Content Removal Rule: SNPs with over 10 million daily accesses from Turkey must execute content removal or access blocking decisions within a maximum of one (1) hour in urgent cases.
- Escalating Sanctions: Non-compliance triggers administrative penalties, including a prohibition on acquiring new advertisements and, by decision of the Sulh Ceza Hâkimliği, progressive bandwidth throttling of up to %90 percent.
- First-Time Regulatory Framework for Gaming Platforms
Law No. 7578 explicitly defines “Game Developer,” “Game Distributor,” and “Game Platform” under Law No. 5651, subjecting them to direct regulation.
- Age Ratings & Parental Controls: Games lacking official age ratings must be restricted to the highest age criteria or removed. Identical to SNPs, game platforms must provide specific parental control mechanisms for paid content.
- Regulatory Audits: The BTK is authorized to demand detailed information regarding corporate structure, IT systems, and data processing mechanisms, requiring a response within fifteen (15) days.
- Heavy Fines: Administrative fines range from 1 million to 10 million TL, escalating up to thirty (30) million TL for repeat offenses. Failure to pay triggers bandwidth throttling up to 50%. A six (6) month grace period (until November 1, 2026) is granted for technical compliance.
- Employment Bans in Physical Child-Oriented Facilities
Amendments to the Law No. 5395 target physical spaces (nurseries, e-gaming centers, internet cafes, schools). Individuals with finalized criminal records for offenses including sexual assault, human trafficking, obscenity, or drug trafficking are legally barred from operating or working in these establishments. Employers must mandate the submission of criminal records every six (6) months. Violations incur fines of three (3) to seven (7) times the gross minimum wage per personnel, culminating in immediate license revocation.
5. Evaluation and Legal Recommendations
Law No. 7578 requires not just a legislative update but a comprehensive operational transformation for companies. While the expansion of parental rights demands more flexible operational planning in the workplace, the new child protection rules in the digital sphere mandate proactive risk management for technology companies against severe penalties.
- For Employers: We highly recommend reviewing your HR policies and payroll systems in light of the twenty-four (24) week maternity leave and ten (10) day paternity leave rules. Additionally, it would be beneficial to conduct operational capacity planning immediately to accommodate the potential requests for the eight (8) week transitional leave right.
- For Tech & Gaming Companies: It is crucial to utilize the six (6) month grace period granted by the law to bring technical infrastructures into full compliance. To mitigate exposure to legal risks, we advise integrating age verification systems and parental control tools into your UX/UI processes without delay.
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- What is the new age limit for social media platforms?
Pursuant to Law No. 7578, social network providers are strictly prohibited from serving children under the age of fifteen (15).
- How many weeks is the total maternity leave now?
With post-natal maternity leave increased to sixteen (16) weeks, the total statutory maternity leave period has reached twenty-four (24) weeks.
- How many days is paternity leave?
Paid paternity leave granted to a male employee upon his spouse giving birth has been increased from five (5) days to ten (10) days.
- Are gaming platforms required to have a representative in Turkey?
Yes, foreign gaming platforms exceeding one hundred thousand (100,000) daily accesses from Turkey must appoint a local representative to receive official notifications.
- How much time do digital platforms have to comply?
A six (6)-month legal grace period from the law’s publication date is provided for digital platforms to fulfill new obligations such as age verification, parental controls, and appointing a representative.
Please review the full text of Law No. 7578 in the Official Gazette.
Please kindly contact our legal team for a comprehensive legal audit.
| Partners Nazlı ÖZKUL M:+90 507 604 2325 nazli@npartners.com.tr |
Attorney Ali Kaan DİNÇ M:+90 551 980 27 66 alikaan@npartners.com.tr |
Intern Hazal ŞATAY M:+90 552 533 84 99 intern@npartners.com.tr |