Asst. Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Can Aksoy (Bilkent University): Does Turkey really endeavor to keep up with the GDPR? The Example of Joint Controllership

Current Research on Turkish Law

  • Date: Nov 20, 2023
  • Time: 02:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Location: online
About the Speaker:
Associate Professor Dr. Hüseyin Can Aksoy graduated from the Bilkent University Faculty of Law. He holds a master’s degree from Ankara University and a doctorate from the Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg. In 2017, he was honoured with an Outstanding Young Scientist Award (GEBIP) by the Science Academy of Turkey and a Young Scientist Award (BAGEP) from the Science Academy Association. In 2022, he was awarded a Distinguished Teaching Award by Bilkent University in recognition of excellence in teaching. Dr. Aksoy is currently a member of the Faculty of Law, of which he also acted for five years as associate dean. He has authored three books and several articles, chapters, and entries in national and international journals, books, and encyclopaedias. His interdisciplinary research and publications centre on areas such as data protection law, economic analysis of civil law, international and European contract law, and the law of obligations.

About the Topic:
The data protection landscape in Turkey has been rapidly evolving, driven primarily by the country’s 2016 incorporation of the EU’s Data Protection Directive (95/46/EC) as the foundation of its legal data protection framework. Despite being a significant leap forward, the Turkish Data Protection Law was severely criticized for being outdated from birth, as Directive 95/46/EC in Europe was repealed that same year by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). But the Turkish Data Protection Authority on the other hand is committed to aligning itself with the rigorous data protection standards established by the GDPR. For instance, unlike the GDPR, the Turkish Data Protection Law does not recognize or refer to joint controllership. However, in December 2021 the Turkish Data Protection Authority issued a decision that, in alignment with GDPR principles, officially acknowledged the concept of joint controllership. This seminar aims to provide a comprehensive exploration of this intriguing development, with a particular focus on assessing Turkey’s commitment to aligning itself with the robust data protection standards set by the GDPR and using the concept of joint controllership as a litmus test for its progress.

About the Seminar Series:
The seminar series “Current Research on Turkish Law” regularly invites outstanding scholars and practitioners working on different topics of Turkish private law to present and discuss their findings. The seminar series particularly aims to create a platform where both international researchers interested in Turkish law and Turkish researchers working on comparative law can come together and exchange scholarly ideas.
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