Professional history
I graduated from the Law Faculty of Galatasaray University in 2006 and completed my internship at Gün + Partners in 2007. I have been working at Gün + Partners since my internship and became partner in 2018.
What do you do?
As our Data Protection Law was enacted relatively recently (in 2016), currently I mostly deal with full-scale compliance projects. Additionally, I help our clients in cases of data breaches.
Advice for young lawyers?
I would advise them to read a lot about technology and follow the developments in technology and the applications involving data processing activities. It would be better for the young lawyers to refrain from looking at data issues from a purely legal perspective; they should try to understand the technology or the structure behind it, the stakes involved and, always, the purpose behind a restriction related to data processing.
If you hadn’t been a lawyer...
I would like to have been a writer of fantasy or science fiction novels, or a carpenter.
What’s everyone talking about?
Our Data Protection Law was enacted only two years ago, and most of the secondary legislation has been issued recently. Our law is modelled on the EU’s Data Protection Directive but it is not the same, and also includes some concepts from the GDPR. There have been a lot of discussions about how the provisions of our law should be implemented. Our Data Protection Law requires all data controllers (local and foreign alike) to register themselves with the Data Controllers Registry, together with their personal data inventories. This registration requirement has been the subject of many debates recently.
What will data lawyers be advising on in 10 years?
As the AI technologies and automated decision-making applications will develop, I believe that we will see more objections to the results of the automated decisions that are made by AI. As the intellectual property behind the AI structure will be protected, it will be a challenge (even more than it is now) to prove the objections, and to find the balance between IP protection and data protection.
What do you do to relax?
I read fantasy books together with a cup of coffee or a glass of single malt or wine. I try to carve wood from time to time but generally end up with shapeless lumps of wood.