Turkish authorities warn civil servants on social media income

The Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye has issued a warning to civil servants regarding income earned from digital platforms such as YouTube, social media, blogs, and mobile application development. According to an official assessment sent to the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), these activities may violate Article 28 of the Civil Servants Law No. 657, which prohibits civil servants from engaging in trade or other gainful activities.

The assessment clarifies that performing activities online does not exempt them from being classified as commercial activities. While certain tax exemptions or special taxation rules exist for digital content creators and mobile app developers under the Income Tax Law, these tax benefits do not grant civil servants the legal freedom to engage in such work. Under Law No. 657, civil servants are prohibited from acting as merchants or tradesmen, holding positions in commercial and industrial enterprises, or opening offices for professional or freelance practice.