How to make a KVKK data request in Türkiye: getting a company to disclose or delete your data, and complaining to the Board

A sales call from a firm you never signed up with, old details still sitting in an account you closed years ago, a wrong address in a shop's records: the first step is the same in every case. Türkiye's Personal Data Protection Law No. 6698 (KVKK) gives you the right to ask the company or institution processing your data what it holds, to have it corrected and, where the legal conditions are met, deleted.

The process works in stages. You first apply to the data controller, meaning the organisation that processes your data, and it must reply in writing or electronically within 30 days at the latest. You cannot go straight to the Personal Data Protection Board: a complaint is only possible once your request has been refused, answered inadequately or left unanswered.

This guide walks through what a valid request must include, which delivery channels are accepted, the deadlines, and the Board's online complaint system step by step.

1. Decide which right you are using Article 11 of the law gives you the right to learn whether your data is processed, to request information if it is, to learn the purpose and whether the data is used accordingly, to know the third parties in Türkiye or abroad it has been transferred to, to have incomplete or inaccurate data corrected, to have it erased or destroyed under the conditions set by the law, to have those corrections and erasures passed on to the third parties concerned, to object to an outcome against you that results solely from automated analysis, and to claim compensation if unlawful processing caused you harm. Base your request on one or more of these and spell out exactly what you want instead of a one-line "delete my data".
2. Identify the data controller and its address The request goes to the organisation that processes your data, known as the data controller. Look for the privacy notice or personal data page on the company's website; the application address, KEP address and any application form are listed there. To confirm the company's legal name and address you can also check the Personal Data Protection Authority's VERBİS registry search, although a company that is not registered may not show up. If the firm that contacted you is unclear, keep the call or message record and address the request to the company behind the brand named in it.
3. Pick a delivery channel that counts A request can be made in writing, meaning a petition with a handwritten signature; a document signed with a secure e-signature also counts as written. Registered electronic mail (KEP), a mobile signature, an e-mail address you previously gave the company and that is on record in its system, or an application tool or form the company provides for this purpose are also accepted. Note that a message from a new e-mail address the company has never seen does not meet this requirement, and a phone call or a verbal request to customer service is not a valid application.
4. Include every mandatory detail in the petition The request must contain your name and surname, your signature if it is on paper, your Turkish ID number, a home or work address for official notices, an e-mail address for correspondence if you have one, and the subject of your request; a missing item can later get your complaint rejected. Open with "under Article 11 of Law No. 6698" and list your demands point by point, for example: tell me what personal data of mine you process, for what purpose and to whom you have transferred it; delete my data used for marketing. Attach your screenshots and correspondence and list the attachments at the end of the petition.
5. Send it and keep proof of delivery Whatever channel you choose, make sure you can show when the request arrived: the KEP delivery record, a registered-mail receipt, the document registration number given when you hand it in, or the ticket number produced by an online form. Keep a signed copy of the petition and its attachments. Every deadline runs from the application date, so this date will be your most important detail at the complaint stage.
6. Wait up to 30 days and read the reply The company must deal with your request as quickly as its nature allows and within 30 days at the latest. It may accept the request or refuse it with reasons, and it must reply in writing or electronically; information given by phone or face to face does not count as a reply. As a rule the request is free; if a written reply exceeds 10 pages, 1 lira per additional page may be charged, and if the reply is delivered on a CD or USB stick, the cost of that medium. If the request was caused by the company's own error, any fee is refunded.
7. Work out the complaint deadline If your request was refused, the reply was inadequate or no reply came within 30 days, you gain the right to complain to the Personal Data Protection Board. The complaint must be filed within 30 days of learning the company's reply and in any case within 60 days of the application date. If no reply came at all, in practice this means filing between day 31 and day 60 after you applied. A complaint filed outside these limits is not examined.
8. Log in to the complaint system and complete your profile Open sikayet.kvkk.gov.tr in your browser or use the Şikayet Modülü (Complaint Module) link on the kvkk.gov.tr home page; it can also be reached through e-Devlet. Click Giriş için tıklayınız (Click to log in) and sign in with your e-Devlet credentials. Your profile must be 100 percent complete before you can file: in the Profil menu at the top left, enter your date of birth and press MERNİS'ten Güncelle (Update from MERNİS), type your 10-digit address number into the home or work address field, press MERNİS'ten Getir (Fetch from MERNİS) and click Kaydet (Save). You can find your address number on the İkametgahım page in e-Devlet, on the NVİ Adres No line.
9. Create the complaint and submit it rather than leaving a draft Under Şikayetler (Complaints) click Yeni Şikayet Oluştur (Create new complaint) and answer Kimin adına başvuruyorsunuz? (On whose behalf?) with Şahsım adına (On my own behalf). Enter the company's name, tax number, address, website if any, the subject and your explanation, and answer Evet (Yes) to Başvuruda bulundunuz mu? (Did you apply to the data controller?). Upload your application date and document, plus the reply date and reply document if you received one, as .pdf, .jpg or .png, then press Kaydet. At this point the complaint is only saved as a draft and has not reached the Authority: in the complaints list click the Detay Gör (magnifier) icon, check the details, press Onayla ve Gönder (Confirm and send) at the bottom and choose Evet in the pop-up. When the status reads Gönderildi (Sent), your complaint has been submitted.

⚠ This guide is general information. Yudum cannot be held responsible for the outcome of following it; for official procedures always rely on the institution's own statement. Steps and fees change over time.

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