One-line summary: When a MASAK (Turkey’s AML authority) inquiry lands, some institutions over-react and freeze thousands of accounts “pending KYC remediation.” Done badly, this triggers a PR firestorm, customer lawsuits, and regulatory risk. This playbook shows how to use 5549 AML, MASAK guidance, and the tipping-off prohibition to design proportional freezes, clean customer communications, and […]
One-line summary: When chargebacks spike, acquirers often withhold payouts “for risk.” If an acquirer freezes merchant settlements, a growth-stage company can face a sudden cashflow shock. This guide explains the Turkish legal levers (TBK and Law No. 6502), card-network rules, the evidence you should gather, and the contract fixes—clear reserve formula, cure periods, dispute SLAs, […]
Executive summary When a Turkish payment institution (PI) or electronic money institution (EMI) fails, the single question that matters for users and investors is: Are customer monies truly bankruptcy-remote? Under Law No. 6493 and CBRT secondary legislation, client funds must be segregated and safeguarded; in principle, they should fall outside the insolvent estate. In practice, […]
Introduction: Why “payment accounts & wallets” matter in Turkey Turkey has become one of Europe’s most dynamic payments markets. Instant transfers, standardized QR payments, and open-banking rails now underpin the way consumers and businesses move money. Against this backdrop, payment accounts & wallets—typically operated by banks, payment institutions, or e-money institutions—sit at the core of […]
Introduction Fintech in Turkey has moved from “promising niche” to “regulated mainstream.” From payments and e-money to open banking, AML and data protection, the regulatory perimeter is now clear enough for institutional investors—yet dynamic enough to reward first movers who structure compliance into product design. This article explains what fintech covers in practice, how Turkish […]
Introduction Import and export of narcotic substances under Article 188/2 of the Turkish Penal Code is among the most heavily punished offenses in Turkish criminal law. The provision criminalizes both bringing narcotics into Turkey (import/ithal) and taking them out of Turkey (export/ihracat). As Turkey is geographically positioned between Asia and Europe, it is considered a […]