LEGAL ASSESSMENT

Which Content Can Be Addressed, and by Which Legal Route?

The removal of content published about you on the internet is handled according to the nature of the publication, the right infringed, the place where it was published and the result requested. A news item contrary to the facts, a private image published without permission, the disclosure of identity information and an outdated news item are not subject to the same application procedure. For individuals, businesses and publishers, we examine both the allegation of infringement and the possibilities of defense.

Deleting the content at its source, blocking access from Türkiye and removing a link from the index for searches by first and last name produce different results. In the initial assessment, we review the full internet addresses, the dates of publication and of learning about it, earlier applications and the content’s connection to you; we clarify which request can be directed to which addressee. The fact that a publication is merely disturbing or critical does not by itself make it unlawful.

SCOPE OF SERVICES

Legal Support on Content Removal and the Right to Be Forgotten

Review the heading that fits your needs. The work to be undertaken is determined by assessing the documents and the circumstances of the file.

Unlawful News and Publications

We examine together the accuracy of the allegation, the way the news is presented, its currency and its relationship to the person. We determine the scope of a request to the publisher for correction, anonymization or removal.

Joint assessment of the headline, photograph and text
Identifying the publisher and the responsible addressee

Removal from Search Results

We assess the right to be forgotten for the links that appear in searches by first and last name. The request is tied to the content of each link and to the person’s current situation.

Reasoned application to the search engine
Options for applying after a refusal or no response

Private Images and Audio Recordings

Where photographs, videos and audio recordings relating to private life are published without permission, we prioritize the need for protection. During the application, we plan the submission of documents in a way that prevents the intimate content from spreading again.

Examination of the conditions of Article 9/A of Law No. 5651
Platform notification and follow-up in court

Disclosure of Personal Information

Where a telephone number, address, identity information or other data relating to a person is published, we examine the nature of the data, the purpose of its use and the claim that it is lawful.

Identifying the data controller
Requests for deletion and correction and related complaints

Social Media Posts

We record separately the post itself, the account address, quotations and republished copies. We prepare the request by separating platform rules from the legal grounds for the application.

Separating post and account links
Tracking responses to applications and new copies

Fake Accounts and Artificially Generated Content

We assess accounts opened in a person’s name and fake images or audio generated with artificial intelligence. We link the dimensions of identity impersonation, personality rights, data and possible offenses.

Comparison with the genuine account and content
Determining the technical expert review that is needed

Unlawful Comments

In business reviews, we examine the distinction between conveying an experience and criticism, on the one hand, and a baseless allegation, personal attack or misleading publication, on the other. We do not treat every negative comment as a subject for removal.

Assessment of transaction and customer records
Platform notification and choice of legal request

Lawsuits and Interim Protection

We assess the cessation, prevention or determination of an attack on personality rights, together with the interim protection requests that are needed. The court with subject-matter jurisdiction and the extent of the request are determined according to the specific dispute.

Preparing the evidence and the conditions for an injunction
Compensation claims in appropriate cases

Defenses for Publishers and Platforms

For publishers that have received a removal request or a decision, we examine the basis of the news, the public interest and the possibilities of defense. We assess separately the scope of the decision and the action to be taken.

Scope of the request and the obligations of the addressee
Objection, response and coordination of implementation

BEFORE YOU DECIDE

Legal Distinctions to Know Before Applying

Framing the request correctly requires making the publication and the intervention sought concrete. These distinctions are the basis of the first consultation and of the choice of procedure.

Content, Access and Search Result

A publisher’s removal of content is directed at the source. An access restriction measure limits access to the content concerned. Removal from a search engine, on the other hand, affects visibility in particular searches; it does not by itself delete the publication at the source or all copies on the internet.

Annulled Article 9 of Law No. 5651

The former Article 9 procedure of Law No. 5651 for personality rights was annulled by the Constitutional Court (Anayasa Mahkemesi). Former application templates for the criminal judgeship of peace (sulh ceza hâkimliği) cannot be used as the current general route. The general provisions on personality rights, the protection of personal data and the current routes specific to the violation are assessed separately.

The Current Addressee in Private Life Matters

Article 9/A of Law No. 5651 is specific to the privacy of private life. Following Article 27 of Law No. 7590, the administrative addressee of the application under the law is the Cyber Security Presidency. The judicial review connected with the application and the short procedural time limits are planned together; an administrative notification alone does not complete the process.

The Right to Be Forgotten and the Public Interest

That a news item is old or unfavorable to the person is not sufficient by itself. Currency, accuracy, the person’s public role, the nature of the news and the public’s interest in access to information are assessed together. An acquittal or a decision of non-prosecution may be important; it does not result in automatic removal.

Apply to the Search Engine First

In a complaint about removal from the index under the KVKK framework, an application is made first to the search engine as the data controller. After a refusal, an inadequate response or no response, the conditions and time limits for applying to the Personal Data Protection Board (Kurul) are examined. This procedure is not the same as a general complaint to the publisher or the platform.

Complaint and Removal Are Separate

A criminal complaint, a platform notification, a compensation lawsuit and removal from a search result serve different purposes. Applying to one does not guarantee the outcome of the other; nor does an insult or reputation dispute automatically become a catalog offense within the scope of Article 8 of Law No. 5651.

OUR APPROACH

Our Approach in Digital Publication Disputes

We do not handle a file on the basis of a screenshot alone. We assess together the earlier and current versions of the publication, the basis of the news, the photograph used, how the person’s name appears and whether the content has been moved to other addresses. We determine separately copies of the same news item on different pages and the search engine’s result record.

In framing the grounds for the application, we also examine the claims of truth, public interest, criticism and permission to publish that the other side may raise. We explain the situations in which an option such as updating or anonymization, rather than full removal, reflects the request more accurately. When a technical review is required, we determine its scope; we do not offer our legal service as a digital forensics report or a technical recovery service.

Reviewing the Publication and the Need
The full links, the dates of first publication and of learning about it, the person’s relationship to the content and the existing harm are examined. If there is ongoing disclosure, blackmail or a step bound by a time limit, the priority is determined.
Determining Documents and Scope
Earlier applications and decisions are obtained, and missing records are identified. Acceptance of the matter, authorization, the scope of the request and the fee terms are clarified. Any technical review that is needed is planned separately.
Preparing the Reasoned Request
For each link, the ground of violation and the result sought are written out. From among the options of updating the news, anonymization, removal at the source or removal from the index, those suited to the case are prepared.
Application and Necessary Judicial Steps
The application is carried out to the competent publisher, platform, data controller or authority. The responses are assessed; lawsuit, complaint, injunction or objection steps within the scope are followed.
Implementation and Information
It is checked which links and searches are affected by the response received or the decision. Subsequent steps regarding new copies and the ongoing publication are explained to the client.

PREPARING FOR THE FIRST CONSULTATION

Preparing for a Consultation on Content Removal and the Right to Be Forgotten

A short summary of the matter is enough for the first inquiry. Detailed documents are requested through a secure channel once the scope of the review has been determined.

What you can prepare at the start

The full URL for each publication and, if any, the post ID; the address of the home page alone may not be sufficient.
Screenshots showing the date and context; the relevant text or the whole post, in addition to the headline.
A short summary of the matter, the dates of publication and of learning about it, and why removal is requested.
Earlier applications, platform notification numbers and the responses received.

What may be requested depending on the file

If there are proceedings that are the subject of the news, the relevant decision and information on its becoming final.
Documents showing the incorrect information or records relating to permission to publish.
In business reviews, the relevant parts of the transaction, contract and correspondence.
For steps that require representation, a power of attorney and identity verification documents. Passwords, verification codes or unnecessary intimate records should not be sent.

Confidentiality of your information

The information and documents you share are used, within the framework of the attorney’s professional secrecy and the principles of personal data protection, only for legal assessment and for carrying out the work undertaken. Do not send passwords, access codes or unnecessary identity information. For sensitive documents, use the secure sharing method that our office will specify.

Statement on confidentiality and information security

REPRESENTATION AND COMMUNICATION

Online Content Removal and Right to Be Forgotten Services Based in Antalya and Serving All of Türkiye

Güneş & Güneş Law Firm, founded in Kemer on March 18, 1999, has provided advisory and representation services from its Antalya base since 2007 in disputes concerning content, personality rights and search results throughout Türkiye. The place where the publication is located, the identity of the parties, the existing decisions and the legal basis of the request are assessed together.

In requests with a Türkiye connection from persons living abroad and for content on foreign platforms, the platform application and the representation that may be needed in the foreign country are planned separately. Where steps under foreign law are required, they are coordinated with attorneys authorized in that country. Communication in Turkish, English, German and Russian is possible.

Fees and Scope of Work

A consultation, a written assessment, a platform application, a lawsuit and a legal remedy are not the same work. The fee and the scope are determined in advance; notary, translation, court-appointed expert and litigation costs are explained separately. The number of items of content and steps in different countries may affect the scope.

Ongoing Publication and Approaching Time Limits

If the disclosure is ongoing, the publication has moved to new addresses or an application time limit is approaching, state this in the first contact. Existing decisions and records of notification help determine whether an urgent assessment is needed.

Scope of a Decision for Foreign Publications

The effect in Türkiye of a publication in a foreign language and the route to be followed in the foreign country are examined separately. It is not assumed that a decision issued in Türkiye will have the content deleted worldwide; the addresses to which the request will apply and the territorial limits are assessed separately.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Questions About Content Removal and the Right to Be Forgotten

The answers are general information. The route and conditions that apply to your request are assessed on the basis of specific information and documents.

Can I still apply if the news is true?

Yes; accuracy is not the only criterion of assessment. The time that has passed and the current public interest are also examined. That said, the right to be forgotten is not applied as a right to erase the record of every event in the past.

Can I exercise my rights if my name is not stated explicitly?

If you can be identified by a photograph, workplace, title or other information, an assessment can be made. The connection between you and the content must be shown concretely in the request.

If a Google result is removed, will no one be able to see the news?

That does not follow. The news may remain accessible at its own address, on other search engines or through different queries. The scope in which the request is accepted and the first-and-last-name queries to which it applies are checked separately.

Is a screenshot alone sufficient?

It is helpful; but if the link, date and context are missing, the assessment becomes harder. If the content may change or be denied, the need for preservation of evidence in accordance with the proper procedure is examined separately.

If the content is deleted without an application, does the file end?

The need for removal may change; but harm arising from the earlier publication, other copies or search results may continue. The records at hand and the type of request are assessed again.

Can I have all the low ratings about my business deleted?

No. A genuine account of an experience and measured criticism may be protected. It is examined whether there is, in concrete terms, a baseless allegation, impersonation, an attack or some other unlawfulness.

How should I prepare for a photograph of my child?

State the relevant link, the context of the publication and your capacity to represent the child. Do not share unnecessary identity information or intimate images. The child’s interest and the conditions of representation are assessed separately in the file.

Should I pay the other side to have the content removed?

Action should not be taken before the nature of the payment request has been examined. Especially in communications containing threats or blackmail, the correspondence should be preserved; payment, a criminal report and content removal should be assessed together but with their separate consequences.

Does a platform’s refusal close the judicial route?

No. A response given under platform rules is not the same as the assessment of a court or the relevant institution. The next route is determined by examining the grounds for the refusal, the application documents and the procedure that can be applied.

What happens if the same content is published at a new link?

The new URL, the time of publication and its relationship to the existing decision are recorded. Whether the earlier step can be applied to the new publication is assessed separately; it is not assumed that a single application covers all future posts.

Does asking for content to be removed mean giving up compensation?

As a rule, they are different requests. However, an agreement or release document to be signed with the publisher may affect other rights. The scope of a removal agreement should be examined before signing.

RELATED SERVICES AND LEGAL BASIS

Find Information Related to Your Matter

Technology, Data, Intellectual Property and Media

Official legal sources

The sources used in preparing this text were reviewed on October 4, 2026. A review of sources does not replace a legal opinion tailored to the individual.

NEXT STEP

Let’s Review Your Matter Together

Please share your request, a short summary of the facts and, if any, the date of an upcoming step. At the first consultation, which documents will be reviewed and which legal routes will be considered is clarified.

Subject of the inquiry: Online Content Removal and the Right to Be Forgotten

Request a Consultation on Content Removal Request an Appointment

First response: within 48 hours at the latest. This period is not the time in which the legal review is completed or the matter is concluded.

Submitting an inquiry does not mean that an attorney–client relationship has been established or that monitoring of the file and its time limits has been taken on. The consultation fee is communicated in advance.

Online Content Removal and the Right to Be Forgotten