Turkish telecom association TELKODER submitted feedback on BTK’s draft telecom regulation. It raised objections to four provisions concerning operators’ marketing rights, fixed-line number management, and the URL ban on inbound cross-border A2P SMS. The association argued certain clauses would disrupt industry operations and cause losses for end users, recommending their removal.
The association holds that the clause prohibiting operators from making marketing calls and sending SMS to non-subscribers conflicts with existing commercial communications legislation. It strips operators of legitimate customer acquisition and marketing tools and hinders digital marketing activities, and should therefore be deleted. Regarding fixed-line number management, the draft plans to reclaim idle fixed-line numbers and cap the quantity of secondary numbers allocated to individuals and enterprises. TELKODER states many businesses maintain zero-traffic landlines for brand display. Mandatory reclamation would raise corporate costs and even impact broadband services. Limits on number quantities would reduce operational efficiency for large enterprises and call centres with vague rule boundaries; this clause is also recommended for deletion.
On the draft’s blanket ban of URLs in inbound foreign A2P SMS, the association warns this rule would damage partnerships between Turkish carriers and overseas service providers and weaken the international competitiveness of domestic firms. Many overseas digital services rely heavily on SMS links, and the ban would restrict such business operations.
TELKODER’s feedback reflects commercial concerns from the industry. Nevertheless, BTK later issued formal Resolutions No.399 and No.412, and most disputed provisions entered into force. Telecom companies must comply with mandatory regulatory requirements while adapting their business models and carrying out compliance upgrades to systems and workflows.
