CCTV camera systems are widely used in public places for purposes of security, theft prevention and safety.
Use of CCTV cameras is a delicate issue and can be seen as clash of privacy rights of individuals vs. the right for store owners to protect its property and prevent theft.
Under Turkish Law, there is no specific regulation for the use of CCTV cameras and general provisions of Civil Code are applied to asses the legality of such use. As a general rule, the use of CCTV cameras are legal under Turkish Law as long as the use of CCTV is in a public space, proportionate and is used for legitimate interests such as security and theft protection.
In order to ensure that privacy rights of individuals are not breached, visible notices shall be placed in the areas that are monitored with CCTV cameras. Further, CCTV cameras shall not be placed in private spaces such as changing rooms, toilets etc.
Inappropriate use of CCTV cameras, use of CCTV for non-legitimate reasons or use of hidden or visible CCTV cameras in private places are illegal pursuant to Turkish Criminal Code and an imprisonment decision of up to 6 years may be imposed (2 X of the maximum 3 year penalty stipulated in first paragraph of Art 134) pursuant to last sentence of Art. 134.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
