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Disclaimer in Written, Visual and Digital Media within the Scope of Article 32 of the Constitution and Article 14 of the Press Law
Summary The right of reply and correction (retraction) is the authority of an individual or institution to have their statement published in the same medium against an untrue publication made about them. In the written press, the application period is 2 months from the date of publication and must be made through a notary; the responsible manager is obliged to publish this text in the daily publication within 3 days. In internet media, the text must be published within 24 hours of the application and for at least 1 week. If not published, an application can be made to the Criminal Judgeship of Peace within 15 days.
The first reaction of a person or institution about whom an untrue news item has been published is usually to make a statement on social media. However, the legal system offers a much more powerful tool to deliver accurate information to the same audience through the same medium: the right of retraction. The power of this right comes from its ability to compel the media outlet to publish even by judicial decision, when used correctly; however, the time and formal rules are quite strict.
This guide covers the conditions for the right of retraction, the process to be followed in print and digital media, legal deadlines, and judicial application.
What is the Right of Reply and Correction?
The right of reply and correction is the authority of an individual or institution to have their statement published as is in the relevant media outlet within legal timeframes, against a radio, television, newspaper, magazine, or internet publication that is untrue or damages their personal rights. This right is regulated in Article 32 of the Constitution of the Republic of Turkey; according to the Constitution, this right is recognized in cases where a person's honor and dignity are touched upon or untrue publications are made about them. Its application in the written press is detailed in Article 14 of Press Law No. 5187.
For the right of retraction to arise against a publication, the legislation requires three conditions to be met collectively. Merely disliking a news item or finding it critical does not give rise to the right of retraction.
Violation of personal rights: The publication must contain elements that damage the honor, dignity, commercial reputation, or professional integrity of the person or institution. Untruthfulness: The claims in the publication must not be consistent with concrete reality, be baseless, or create a false perception by being presented incompletely. Direct relevance: The name of the person whose right has been violated must be clearly mentioned in the publication, or if no name is given, it must be understood without doubt by the public who this person is.
A national newspaper published an unsubstantiated news item about a food production company, stating, "severe chemicals detected in its products, factory being shut down," without any official report. The news caused the company's share value to drop and led to the cancellation of dealer orders.
Since the news is completely untrue and damages commercial reputation, the company can send a retraction text to the newspaper through a notary, pursuant to Article 14 of the Press Law, demanding its publication on the same page and in the same font.
The process is carried out through two different lines depending on the type of publication and is subject to peremptory periods.
The person whose rights have been violated must deliver the reply and correction text to the responsible manager of the relevant publication within 2 months from the date of the untrue publication. For proof purposes, it is important that this submission is made through a notary in the form of a notice to prevent loss of rights. The responsible manager is obliged to publish the text within 3 days in daily periodicals, and in the first issue following the receipt of the text in other periodicals. The retraction text must be published exactly as is, on the page where the allegations appeared, in the same columns, in the same font, and without any added comments.
In internet publications, the process is carried out in accordance with Law No. 5651. The reply text delivered to the content or hosting provider must be published at the URL address where the violation occurred, within 24 hours at the latest, easily accessible from the homepage, and for at least 1 week.
Case Summary (Internet Media) An internet news portal published content about a doctor titled "left his patient during surgery and fled, an investigation has been launched against him." In reality, the doctor performed a successful operation and no investigation was ever launched against him.
To protect his professional honor, the doctor can send a reply and correction text to the relevant website within the scope of Law No. 5651, requesting its publication; the site is obliged to publish this text within 24 hours and for at least 1 week.
If the responsible manager of the media outlet fails to publish the retraction text, publishes it late, or publishes it in violation of formal requirements (e.g., in a small font or on a back page), the process is taken to court. The victim can apply to the Criminal Judgeship of Peace in their place of residence or where the media outlet's headquarters are located, within 15 days from the end of the publication period, requesting the publication of the text by court order. The judge examines the request over documents without holding a hearing and makes a final decision within 3 days at the latest. If the decision is favorable, it is notified to the Association of Access Providers or directly to the publication body; severe administrative fines are imposed on responsible managers who fail to publish the text despite the final decision.
Judicial Application Media Type Application Period Execution Period by Publication Body Duration
Written press 2 months from publication, notice to responsible manager 3 days after notice (first issue for magazines) 15 days from the end of the period
Internet media 2 months from publication, application to content provider 24 hours after application, must remain published for at least 1 week 15 days from the end of the period
Radio and television 2 months from publication, application to broadcasting organization In the first relevant program or within 3 days 15 days in case of rejection or silence
Can I write anything I want in the retraction text? No. The text cannot contain expressions that are insulting, threatening, or violate the rights of third parties, and it should not exceed the volume of the article that caused the violation; in written press, it is generally expected not to exceed 300 words. The presence of criminal elements in the text or exceeding the length limit leads to the direct rejection of the request by the Criminal Judgeship of Peace.
Can I directly apply to the judgeship without sending a notarized warning? No. First, an application must be made to the publication body or responsible manager within the legal period, and only if this application is rejected or not published within the time limit can an application be made to the judgeship. A judgeship application cannot be evaluated without a document showing that the initial application was made.
Missing the 2-month period: This period is peremptory; applications made after 2 months from publication do not give rise to the right of retraction.
Non-compliance of the text with formal requirements: Exceeding the length limit or adding insulting or criminal elements to the text leads to the direct rejection of the request.
Inability to prove the submission method: Applications made via ordinary email instead of a notarized warning make it difficult to prove that the application was made within the time limit in case of a dispute.
The right of reply and correction is an urgent legal tool that allows for the rapid repair of damaged reputation. However, the two-month peremptory period for exercising this right, the word limit of the text, the submission method, and the procedural rules for judicial application are quite strict; a small mistake can provide the media outlet with a legitimate reason for rejection.
Important Legal Disclaimer: The legal explanations and case examples contained in this guide have been prepared by Küheylan Law Firm for general informational purposes and do not constitute legal advice. Since the specific circumstances of each case may change the outcome, it is recommended that the process be managed with the support of a press and media law attorney. © 2026 Küheylan Law Firm. All Rights Reserved.
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