Turkey has taken a further step towards it Data Protection Board (“Board”) being operational, with the President appointing two individuals to the nine person panel: Prof. Dr. Faruk Bilir and Şaban Baba. The Council of Ministers is expected to appoint the final two Board members in the near future. The Board was planned to be operational on 7 October 2016, with certain obligations applying once the Board began working. However, progress has been delayed pending appointment of the individual Board members.
Once all members are appointed, the Board will create and maintain the Data Controller Registry, registrations to such Register will begin and the Board will commence its activities under Data Protection Law numbered 6698 (more).
The first five members of the Board were appointed via decision number 1129 from the Turkish Grand National Assembly on 5 October 2016 (more). These latest two members were appointed via decisions number 2016/103 and 2016/104, published in Official Gazette number 29920 on 16 December 2016.
Please see the links below for full texts of the President’s appointment decisions (only available in Turkish).