Türkiye’s umbrella organization for lawyers has launched a new oversight mechanism to monitor lawyers’ online activity, particularly on social media platforms, in a move highlighting the country’s strict professional rules on legal advertising.
The decision comes amid a noticeable rise in lawyers promoting their services through digital channels, a practice that clashes with Türkiye’s long-standing ban on legal advertising.
Under a regulation amendment published in the Official Gazette, the Union of Turkish Bar Associations (TBB) has established a five-member “Advertising Ban Violations Monitoring Center” tasked with identifying and reporting potential breaches.
According to the new framework, the unit will examine whether lawyers violate advertising restrictions when using written, visual, audio or online communication tools.
It will compile reports for the union and follow up on alleged violations in coordination with local bar associations.
Türkiye’s legal profession operates under strict ethical guidelines that limit how lawyers can present themselves publicly.
The updated regulation reinforces existing rules by emphasizing that attorneys must not highlight past or ongoing cases in a promotional manner, act as spokespersons for parties in a way that could be seen as self-promotion, or share content about their professional success, income or lifestyle that could be interpreted as advertising.
The rules also underline that lawyers must avoid conduct that could damage the reputation of the profession when they are identifiable by their legal title.
