Recent steps taken in the field of cybersecurity in Türkiye indicate significant developments in terms of the protection of critical infrastructures and the enhancement of institutional cyber resilience. The key recent developments in the field of cybersecurity are outlined below.
1. Identification of Critical Infrastructure Sectors
The Cybersecurity Council (“
Council”) convened on 5 May 2026, during which current risks affecting Türkiye’s cybersecurity, upcoming trends and recent international developments were comprehensively discussed. The Council emphasized that cybersecurity constitutes an integral part of national security, and evaluated the protection of critical infrastructures, security of digital systems, capacity building in domestic and national technologies, data sovereignty, digital sovereignty, cyber resilience and inter-institutional coordination as priority topics.
According to the
announcement made by the Council, the sectors identified as critical infrastructure sectors are as follows:
Digital Infrastructures, Digital Services, Electronic Communications, Energy, Finance, Food and Agriculture, Manufacturing Industry, Public Services, Media and Crisis Communication, Postal and Cargo Services, Healthcare, Defence Industry, Water Management, Transportation and Space.
2. Launch of the Cybersecurity Directorate’s Official Website
The official website of the Cybersecurity Directorate (“
Directorate”) became accessible on 6 May 2026 via
siberguvenlik.gov.tr. Through the website, access may be obtained to activities in the field of cybersecurity, informational content and various application mechanisms.
3. Updates to the Information and Communication Security Guidelines
Another recent notable development is the update of the Information and Communication Security Guide and the Information and Communication Security Audit Guide by the Directorate. These guides contain significant compliance and audit obligations for public institutions and operators of critical infrastructures.
As stated on the Directorate’s website, the Information and Communication Security Guide constitutes the first reference document prepared in this field in Türkiye and includes minimum security measures aimed at reducing and eliminating information security risks, as well as protecting critical data which may threaten national security or public order particularly in the event of a breach of confidentiality, integrity or availability.
In addition, it is stated that the Information and Communication Security Audit Guide provides guidance to institutions and organizations by setting forth the methodology to be followed regarding the planning of audit processes, implementation of audit procedures and reporting of audit results.
The updated guides may be accessed
here.
Aslı Kınsız, Managing Associate
Sevim Özkan, Associate
Ece Koçlar, Trainee Lawyer