DECISION OF THE COUNCIL OF JUDGES AND PROSECUTORS ON THE SPECIALIZATION OF CERTAIN COURTS

The Decision No. 890 of the First Chamber of the Council of Judges and Prosecutors, published in the Official Gazette on 22 April 2026 introduces a significant structural change, particularly with respect to lawsuits filed against the decisions of (i) the Personal Data Protection Board and (ii) the Competition Board. It is now envisaged that such disputes, which require technical expertise, will be handled in a specialized manner by designated administrative courts in Ankara.

According to the decision:

• It has been decided that the Administrative Courts No. 12, 14, and 15 in Ankara shall hear the cases and matters arising from the acts and actions of the Personal Data Protection Board in the form of Board decisions stemming from the regulatory and supervisory powers of the Personal Data Protection Board.
• It has been decided that the Administrative Courts No. 10, 13, and 25 in Ankara shall hear the cases and matters arising from the acts and actions of the Competition Board in the form of Board decisions stemming from the regulatory and supervisory powers of the Competition Authority.

The reasoning behind the amendment emphasizes that the acts and decisions of these authorities stem from areas requiring technical and advanced expertise. In particular, disputes in the fields of competition and data protection are noted to involve multi-dimensional, complex, and technical assessments. It is also stated that handling such disputes within the general court system may prolong decision-making processes and weaken consistency in practice.

Within this framework, new cases to be filed as of 1 June 2026 will be assigned to these specialized courts, while pending cases will continue to be heard before their current courts.

The decision is based on a broader specialization approach that extends beyond these two authorities and also covers disputes arising from decisions of other regulatory and supervisory bodies such as the Capital Markets Board of Türkiye, Radio and Television Supreme Council, Information and Communication Technologies Authority, Energy Market Regulatory Authority, Public Procurement Authority, and the Nuclear Regulatory Authority, among others.

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