Summary
On 25 December 2025, Turkish Presidential Decree No. 192 established the Public Sector Artificial Intelligence General Directorate under the Cybersecurity Directorate. The new body is tasked with overseeing AI use across the public sector in Turkey. A companion decree, No. 191, simultaneously renamed the National Technology General Directorate to the National Technology and Artificial Intelligence General Directorate under the Ministry of Industry and Technology, expanding its mandate to include AI standards, certification, national AI capacity development, and AI R&D regulatory support.
Governance Implications
The Public Sector AI General Directorate is a named government body with an explicit AI governance mandate over public institutions — the first body of its kind created specifically for AI oversight in Turkey. It goes beyond advisory or task-force status; it is a formal Directorate created by presidential decree with an oversight function over how the public sector deploys AI.
However, Turkey still lacks an independent AI regulator with broad enforcement powers over the private sector comparable to the EU AI Office or Spain’s AESIA. The draft AI Law submitted to parliament in June 2024 remains pending. A new 2026–2030 National AI Strategy is in preparation.
Key Developments Since March 2026 Research
- On 8 January 2026, a bill was submitted to parliament proposing a 5% turnover fine on social media platforms enabling AI-generated content sharing without consent
- Turkey’s MEB published an updated AI in Education Policy Document (July 2025) with 40 action steps, including new vocational AI curriculum alignment for the 2025–2026 school year
Significance for Scoring
The Public Sector AI General Directorate strengthens Turkey’s dim 10 standing: it is now a named body with an explicit oversight mandate, exceeding advisory-only status, though it does not yet meet the threshold of a full independent regulator with enforcement powers over the broader AI ecosystem.