Law Firm Websites and Turkey’s Advertising Ban (2026)
In short: Lawyers and law firms in Turkey may run a website, but it must stay within the limits of the Union of Turkish Bar Associations (TBB) Advertising Prohibition Regulation. A site may include identity and contact details, areas of practice (without claiming specialisation) and professional articles; client lists, "references", case successes, online advertising and techniques aimed at ranking higher in search engines are prohibited. Since May 2026, violations are also monitored by a dedicated centre within the TBB.
While building a corporate website for a law and consultancy office, the topic we spent most time on was neither design nor software but this regulation. On a law firm's site, every step taken on a "marketing" reflex can clash with professional rules. This article summarises the regulation's provisions on websites from a developer's perspective, with their practical implications.
Can lawyers in Turkey have a website?
Yes. Article 9 of the regulation explicitly allows websites for professional activity, informing clients, and publishing articles and academic work. The same article permits password-protected "virtual office" applications accessible only to the person concerned — so a private, signed-in case-tracking area for clients is possible.
The real question is not "is it allowed?" but "what can and cannot be on the site?"
What may a law firm website include?
Articles 7(d) and 9(a) list the information a site may contain:
- The owner's name, surname and academic title, if any
- The name of the law partnership or office
- A photograph
- TBB and bar registration numbers, and the date the lawyer began practising
- University of graduation and foreign languages spoken
- Office address, phone, fax, email and registered electronic mail (KEP) address
- Names, surnames and academic titles of other lawyers in the office
- Information about the office's areas of activity, provided it does not imply specialisation
- Professional articles and academic work
What is prohibited?
| Prohibition | Basis | In practice |
|---|---|---|
| Information about clients and those advised | art. 7(d) | No "Our references", logo walls or client lists. |
| Advertising-style highlighting of cases and legal work | art. 7(c) | No "cases we won", success rates or case showcases. |
| Claims of specialisation | art. 7(d) | "Areas of practice" rather than "criminal law specialist". |
| Steering code, keywords, subdomains etc. to rank higher in search | art. 7(e) | No keyword stuffing or URLs like "best-divorce-lawyer". |
| Placing or accepting online ads, redirecting shortcuts | art. 7(e), 9(c) | No paid search ads, banners or referral networks. |
| Keywords beyond the permitted list | art. 9(b) | Only name, office name, city, bar and the words "lawyer, law, jurist, justice, defence, claim, equality, right". |
| Promotional domain names | art. 7(d) | Domains may not offend the dignity of the profession or aim at obtaining work. |
Article 11 also requires lawyers not to allow — and to prevent — advertising done for them by third parties. "The agency did it" is not a defence.
What changed in 2024 and 2026?
- 2024: the provisions on the internet and social media were updated, detailing the limits on search engines, domain names and online advertising.
- 2 May 2026 (Official Gazette no. 33241): article 12/A was added, establishing the Advertising Prohibition Violations Monitoring Centre within the TBB. The centre tracks alleged violations in written, audio, visual and online media and refers them to the bars.
The practical result is clear: violations on law firm websites are now far more likely to be detected.
How did we apply these rules on the project?
As a developer, my job was not to interpret the law but to implement the office's decisions correctly. We did that through these choices:
- "Areas of practice" language: each area has its own page, but titles and copy make no claim of specialisation and stay informative.
- No references section: no client logos, "references" or anything showcasing case outcomes was designed.
- An article-led structure: visibility was built on professional articles, which the regulation explicitly allows.
- Legal pages managed from the panel: the legal notice and privacy texts use a flexible page structure the office can update itself.
- A measured contact form: topics such as consultation, case information, appointment and data protection, in language free of promises or steering.
Checklist for a law firm website
- Are name, title, registration numbers and contact details complete?
- Are areas of activity described without claiming "specialisation"?
- Is there any section with clients, references or case successes? (There should not be.)
- Are URLs and titles free of keyword stuffing?
- Are there paid ads, referral links or third-party advertising? (There should not be.)
- Are articles written to inform rather than to obtain work?
Frequently asked questions
Can lawyers in Turkey have a website?
Yes. Article 9 of the TBB Advertising Prohibition Regulation allows websites for professional activity, informing clients and publishing articles. The site is bound by the information listed in the regulation and by the limits of the advertising ban.
Can a Turkish law firm list client references on its website?
No. Article 7(d) prohibits sharing information about clients and those advised, whether called "references" or anything else.
Can lawyers in Turkey run Google Ads?
Article 7(e) prohibits placing and accepting online advertising and using techniques aimed at ranking higher in search engines. Paid search advertising therefore conflicts with professional rules.
Which keywords may a Turkish lawyer's website use?
Under article 9(b), search engine registration may use only the name, office name, city, registered bar and the words "lawyer, law, jurist, justice, defence, claim, equality, right".
Can a lawyer's website use the word "specialist"?
The regulation allows information about areas of activity only "provided it does not imply specialisation". "Areas of practice" language should be preferred over "specialist lawyer".
What is the Advertising Prohibition Violations Monitoring Centre?
A centre established within the TBB by article 12/A, added to the regulation on 2 May 2026. It monitors alleged advertising violations in written, visual and online media and refers them to the relevant bars.
This article is general information based on a software developer's project experience; it is not legal advice. Check the current text of the regulation via the Union of Turkish Bar Associations and the Official Gazette.