Turkey's Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) adopted Resolution 2025/DK-YED/412 on 23 December 2025, which enters into force on 1 April 2026. The new rules govern marketing calls and SMS campaigns by operators and their agents, lay out penalties for non-compliance, and mandate the cleanup of unused fixed-line number resources. Together with A2P Resolution No.399, it protects consumers against harassing and misleading communications.
1. Ban on marketing outreach to non-subscribers
Operators and their agents are prohibited from placing marketing calls or sending promotional SMS/MMS messages to users who are not their contracted subscribers.
The regulation targets mass blind calling and spamming across networks. It restricts marketing outreach only to the operator’s own contracted users. Promotional content cannot be sent indiscriminately to subscribers of other networks without an existing business relationship, narrowing the source of unwanted communications. Marketing activities must be based on an existing user business relationship.
2. Immediate restriction or suspension of telecom services for violations
Where misleading communications or unsolicited user contacts are confirmed, BTK may restrict or even suspend the operator’s call transmission and message termination services.
This is a powerful interim enforcement measure, different from conventional post-facto fines. The regulator may impose service controls without completing a lengthy full investigation, creating strong deterrence. It forces operators to tighten oversight over themselves and downstream agents. Marketing scripts and user lists must undergo compliance verification to avoid regulatory breaches.
3. Recovery and deactivation of idle fixed-line numbers
Fixed-line operators must conduct reviews every January. Fixed numbers with zero traffic throughout the previous calendar year shall be recovered and decommissioned, excluding numbers newly activated in that year.
This measure optimizes telecom number resources. Enterprises need to regularly audit their fixed-line number portfolios. Long-term standby numbers with no usage face revocation risk, helping prevent unexpected business disruptions caused by number deactivation.
The resolution forms a regulatory package by limiting marketing targets, strengthening immediate enforcement and cleaning up idle resources. Turkish operators and agents must audit their marketing databases to ensure outreach only to own subscribers, build internal compliance review mechanisms and prepare for regulatory inspections. All provisions take mandatory effect from 1 April 2026.
