Government Relations Bulletin (27 November

This government relations bulletin provides a comprehensive overview of developments in the fields of technology, data security, artificial intelligence and sustainability for the period 27 November – 10 December 2025.

TECHNOLOGY NEWS

The European Commission has decided to impose a fine of 120 million euros on the social media platform X under the Digital Services Act. In its statement, the Commission assessed the following as violations of the law: the "blue tick" application being defined as "verified users" but this status being obtainable without verification in exchange for a specific payment, the advertising pool not complying with transparency obligations, and researchers' access to data being blocked. This decision was the first compliance penalty under the Digital Services Act. Meanwhile, following the statement, X suspended the European Commission's advertising account on the platform, while US President Trump criticised the decision.

Australia implemented a social media ban for users under the age of 16, effective December 10. According to the ban, users wishing to open an account on social media platforms will undergo facial recognition for age verification. Platforms that fail to comply with the ban could face fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars. Meanwhile, platforms argue that existing "child account" applications are sufficient and that accessing the platform without logging in is more risky for children. Recently, European Commission President Von Der Leyen stated that they would closely monitor Australia's implementation of this measure, and a non-binding vote in the commission approved a similar measure.

The United States plans to introduce federal regulations on artificial intelligence. In a social media post, President Trump stated that state-level regulations are harming the artificial intelligence sector and that he will soon sign an executive order for regulations to be implemented at the federal level in order to maintain their leadership in the sector. It is believed that differing state regulations slow progress in the sector by forcing companies to adapt the same artificial intelligence model to different states.

Netflix announced that it will acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in a deal worth a total of 82.7 billion dollars. Netflix stated that it plans to complete the merger in the third quarter of 2026. US President Trump, meanwhile, highlighted the market share of the two companies, suggesting this could be an issue. Meanwhile, Paramount announced that it made an offer to buy Warner Bros. Discovery for 108.4 billion dollars following Netflix's announcement. Both acquisition offers, if completed, have the potential to become the most costly purchases in the entertainment industry.

Microsoft announced that it will invest 17.5 billion dollars in India to develop artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure. Following his meeting with Indian Prime Minister Modi, CEO Nadella highlighted the country's future in artificial intelligence in a post on his social media account and stated that this investment is the company's largest in Asia.

The European Union announced that it has launched an antitrust investigation following Meta's integration of its own artificial intelligence into the WhatsApp platform. The Union stated that it is concerned that the company's integration of its own artificial intelligence into the platform will lead to rival artificial intelligences being banned from the platform, thereby violating competition rules.

India has requested mobile phone companies to pre-install the government's cybersecurity application on new products. Manufacturers have been given 90 days to integrate the application, which has broad powers including access to the screen, location and calls, into their phones.

SUSTAINABILITY NEWS

Trade Minister Bolat stated in his speech at the 2nd International Environmental Communication Summit that Turkey would implement the EU Green Deal as it stands and that compliance with all green transformation processes, particularly the border carbon adjustment mechanism, is mandatory. Minister Bolat emphasised that Turkey is accelerating its technical alignment with the EU, providing green transition support to companies, and that this process is critical for foreign trade.

The US Environmental Protection Agency removed statements about the role of fossil fuels in global warming from its climate change page on its website. Agency spokesman Hirsch defended the change, stating that during the Trump administration, "we will not act according to left-wing climate agendas."

The European Commission is preparing a major 1.2 trillion euros infrastructure plan to modernise the electricity grid and integrate renewable energy more quickly. The plan covers eight priority projects, new interconnections, energy storage and hydrogen corridors. However, it is not yet clear how the financing will be secured.

OFFICIAL GAZETTE

The Regulation Amending the Green Certificate Regulation for Buildings and Settlements was published in the Official Gazette dated December 2, 2025, and numbered 33095. Accordingly, the green certificate assessment guidelines have been updated.

The communiqués on the best available techniques for the waste treatment sector, energy production, chemical industry, metal production and processing, mineral industry and other production activities were published in the Official Gazette dated November 30, 2025 and numbered 33093. The communiqués were prepared by referring to European Union legislation on the best available techniques for the sectors.

The Decision on the Recording of Photocopies of Turkish Identity Cards of Persons Receiving Accommodation Services in the Tourism and Hospitality Sector was published in the Official Gazette dated December 9, 2025, and numbered 33102. According to the decision, photocopies of the identity documents of persons receiving accommodation services cannot be requested, and previously obtained documents shall be destroyed in accordance with the procedure. Failure to comply with the principle decision may result in administrative fines ranging from 427,263 TRY to 17,092,242 TRY being imposed on data controllers.

The Energy Market Regulatory Authority's decision dated 04/12/2025 and numbered 13995 was published in the Official Gazette dated December 5, 2025 and numbered 33098. According to the decision, starting from March 1, 2026, meters of subscribers with an annual consumption of over 10 MWh will be replaced with "Smart Meter PRO", which is fully two-way communicating, remotely readable, switchable, and capable of recording quality data. For other subscriptions, a simpler variation, "Smart Meter EKO", will be used.