Reaching your audience in Turkey with "leads" is about strategic, compliant, and value-driven engagement, not simply acquiring lists. Turkey's robust data protection laws (LPPD/KVKK) and e-commerce regulations (ETK), along with the mandatory turkey phone number list IYS (İleti Yönetim Sistemi) platform, make it critical to focus on explicit consent for any marketing outreach.
Here's a breakdown of how to reach your audience effectively and compliantly in Turkey:
I. The Legal & Ethical Foundation: Explicit Consent is King
Forget about purchasing ready-made, non-consented lead lists. It's illegal and highly risky in Turkey. Your strategy must be built on these pillars:
Explicit Consent (Aydınlatma Yükümlülüğü): For any direct marketing (SMS, calls, emails), you absolutely must obtain clear, informed, and freely given consent from each individual. This means:
No pre-ticked boxes on forms.
Transparent language explaining what they're consenting to (e.g., "Receive promotional offers via SMS," "Get a call about our services").
A prominent link to your comprehensive Turkish Privacy Policy (KVKK Aydınlatma Metni).
IYS (İleti Yönetim Sistemi - Message Management System): This is a non-negotiable requirement for any business sending commercial electronic messages.
All consents you collect must be uploaded to IYS within three business days.
All opt-out requests must also be recorded and managed through IYS within three business days.
IYS acts as the central registry for consent statuses, which authorities will check.
Alpha Sender ID Registration: For SMS marketing, your company's brand name (Alpha Sender ID) must be pre-registered with Turkish mobile operators. Generic numbers are not allowed for commercial messages.
Compliance with ETK (Electronic Commerce Law): This law dictates specifics for commercial electronic messages, including:
Messages must start with "REKLAM" or "TANITIM."
They must include your company's trade name/trademark.
A free and easy opt-out mechanism must be provided in every message (e.g., "Yanıtla RET iptal et" - Reply STOP to cancel).
Adherence to sending hours (generally not between 9:00 PM and 8:00 AM local time).