Identity Verification and Line Closure in Mobile Subscriptions

What the amendment introduced

The Information and Communication Technologies Authority has amended the Regulation on Consumer Rights in the Electronic Communications Sector. The amendment was published in the Official Gazette of 11 June 2026 (issue 33277) and entered into force on 25 June 2026.

Its centre of gravity is how a subscription contract is formed. Article 7 of the regulation was largely rewritten, making identity verification mandatory and subject to a detailed procedure.

Two further obligations were added: a limit on the number of lines that may be opened in one person's name, and verification every three months that every subscriber is active. A staged closure timetable applies to lines that cannot be verified.

The problem behind the rules is well known: lines opened in a person's name without their knowledge and then used in fraud. For the general approach in consumer disputes, see our Antalya consumer law attorney page.

How a subscription contract is now formed

Under the new text, subscription contracts are concluded in writing or electronically, with the applicant's identity confirmed by means of the identity document and biometric data consisting of a facial or fingerprint template, or an identity-confirming password.

Where the contract is concluded in writing and the applicant holds an identity document with electronic verification capability, the procedure defined in the Identity Verification Regulation is followed. Where the document supports contact-based communication, a specified data set is used instead of a PDF; where it supports only near-field communication, the procedure in the annexes applies.

Where the contract is concluded electronically, identity is verified directly under the Identity Verification Regulation.

The firmest rule in the article is this: even where a document counts as an official identity document under its own legislation, a subscription contract may not be concluded with a document lacking the verification capability defined in the Identity Verification Regulation, apart from temporary identity documents and certain documents held by foreign nationals.

Foreign nationals and corporate subscriptions

Where a foreign applicant holds an identity document without electronic verification capability, issued by Turkish authorities or internationally valid, the special procedure in the Identity Verification Regulation is followed.

The operator must take a copy of a document alongside the contract: one bearing the Turkish identity number or the foreign identity number defined in law no. 6458; for subscriptions by foreign nationals, an internationally valid identity document within its period of validity.

For corporate subscriptions, alongside the authorised person's identity document and the official document evidencing authority to represent, a document is required according to the type of legal person: for commercial companies, a registry certificate bearing the MERSİS number issued by the Trade Registry Directorate, or a document bearing the tax identification number issued by KOSGEB showing the size of the business; for associations, trade unions, foundations, political parties and public bodies, a document bearing the relevant registry number.

Copies are taken from the originals and only by transfer to a suitable electronic medium.

How many lines may be opened in one name?

The paragraph added is short and clear: an operator may not register more subscriptions in the name of a natural or legal person than the limit determined by the Authority.

The regulation does not state the figure; the power to set it rests with the Information and Communication Technologies Authority. The current limit must therefore be followed from the Authority's own decision.

The practical effect is to prevent structures built on many lines opened against a single identity.

Three-monthly verification and staged closure

A further paragraph requires the operator to verify every three months that all its subscribers are active.

The identity number of the natural-person subscriber and of the corporate subscriber's authorised person is confirmed through the Identity Sharing System of the Directorate General of Population and Citizenship Affairs. For foreign nationals without a foreign identity number, verification is carried out within three months of the contract being concluded.

A three-stage timetable applies where a subscriber cannot be verified: within twenty-four hours, at least a text message is sent to the contact numbers for all lines registered against the relevant numbers; within thirty days, a restriction is applied by the method specified in the regulation; and within ninety days, the line is closed.

Where a corporate subscriber's legal personality has not ended but the authorised person cannot be verified, restriction and closure do not apply; the subscriber may not, however, carry out subscription transactions until a new authorised person is defined by the operator.

The timetable also shows that a line cannot be closed without notice; the first step is always information.

If a line has been opened in your name without your knowledge

The new verification regime changes the evidential ground for a subscriber who says a line was opened in their name without their knowledge. One of the verification procedures listed in the regulation must have been carried out for the contract to be concluded; where it is said that a contract was concluded without it, the operator's records become decisive.

The route is as a rule staged. An application is first made to the operator, requesting the records relating to the conclusion of the contract, including the identity-verification data. If that produces no result, a complaint may be made to the Information and Communication Technologies Authority.

Where the dispute arises from a consumer transaction, the application goes, according to its value, to the consumer arbitration committee or to the consumer court. Where a debt has accrued against the person in whose name the line was opened and enforcement proceedings have followed, the route against those proceedings is assessed separately.

Unauthorised use of identity details may also engage the criminal law; that aspect is dealt with independently of the subscription dispute.

Commencement and existing subscriptions

The amendment entered into force on 25 June 2026. The identity-verification rules apply to subscription contracts concluded after that date.

The obligation to verify activity every three months is, by contrast, a continuing obligation covering all of the operator's subscribers, so subscriptions concluded earlier also fall within it.

The practical point for subscribers is that where identity details need updating, for example on renewal of an identity document or where a foreign identity number is obtained later, notifying the operator in good time prevents the restriction and closure timetable from running.

Frequently asked questions

Is biometric data mandatory for a mobile subscription?

Under the regulation, subscription contracts are concluded with identity confirmed by means of the identity document and biometric data consisting of a facial or fingerprint template, or an identity-confirming password. Which method applies depends on the electronic verification capability of the document presented.

How many lines may be opened in one person's name?

The regulation states no figure, leaving the limit to the Information and Communication Technologies Authority. An operator may not register more subscriptions than the limit the Authority sets.

Why was my line closed?

The operator verifies every three months, through the Identity Sharing System, that all subscribers are active. Where a subscriber cannot be verified, notice is given within twenty-four hours, a restriction is applied within thirty days and the line is closed within ninety days.

Can foreign nationals obtain a line?

Yes. An internationally valid identity document within its period of validity, or a document bearing the foreign identity number, is required. For those without a foreign identity number, verification takes place within three months of the contract being concluded.

What documents are required for a corporate subscription?

The authorised person's identity document and the official document evidencing authority to represent, together with a document according to the type of legal person; for commercial companies this includes a registry certificate bearing the MERSİS number or a document bearing the tax identification number issued by KOSGEB.

Where do I apply about a line opened without my knowledge?

First to the operator, requesting the records relating to the conclusion of the contract. If that produces no result, a complaint may be made to the Information and Communication Technologies Authority. Where the dispute arises from a consumer transaction, the consumer arbitration committee or the consumer court has jurisdiction according to value.

When did the amendment take effect?

The regulation published in the Official Gazette of 11 June 2026, issue 33277, entered into force on 25 June 2026.

Because the rules tie the formation of a subscription to documents and to a verifiable process, the operator's records become the central evidence in any later dispute. The first step in challenging a subscription is therefore to request the records of its formation.

For the general framework in disputes arising in Konyaaltı and the surrounding area, see our Konyaaltı lawyer page. The office can be reached through the contact page.

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For further detail on the matters discussed here, see our Consumer Law page.

The information on this page is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice. You should consult a lawyer about your own situation.