Web accessibility obligations: Türkiye and Europe
Web accessibility is no longer just good practice; in Türkiye and the European Union it is a legal obligation for many organisations and businesses. Based on the official texts, this guide summarises who is responsible, from when and against which benchmark. It is not legal advice; for your own situation, read the full text and consult a lawyer where needed.
- 01
Türkiye: Presidential Circular 2025/10
The circular was published in the Official Gazette on 21 June 2025 (issue 32933). The websites and mobile apps of the organisations it covers must comply with the "Accessibility Checklist for Websites and Mobile Applications - Level A" and the Web Content Accessibility Guide based on WCAG 2.2, both published by the Ministry of Family and Social Services.
- 02
Who in Türkiye, and by when?
One-year deadline (passed on 21 June 2026): public institutions and bodies, universities, municipalities and municipal companies, state-owned enterprises, professional organisations with public-institution status, banks, private hospitals, private education institutions licensed by the Ministry of National Education, road vehicles covered by Law No. 4925, passenger ships, rail and air passenger carriers, Group A travel agencies and electronic communications operators with more than 200,000 subscribers. Two-year deadline (June 2027): e-commerce service providers covered by Law No. 6563.
- 03
Monitoring and the Accessibility Logo
Implementation is monitored by the Ministry of Family and Social Services, and a monitoring commission publishes a monitoring plan every year. Websites and apps found to be accessible during monitoring receive the right to use the Accessibility Logo from the Ministry for two years. The logo is not a document you obtain once and forget: accessibility must be maintained as new content and features are added.
- 04
European Union: the European Accessibility Act
Directive (EU) 2019/882 has applied since 28 June 2025. Its scope includes areas such as e-commerce and banking services for consumers, e-books and digital services related to passenger transport. Microenterprises providing services (fewer than 10 employees and an annual turnover or balance sheet total of at most 2 million euros) are exempt. A business offering these services to consumers in the European Union may fall within its scope even if it is based in Türkiye; get legal advice for your own situation.
- 05
Germany and France
Germany transposed the directive with the Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (BFSG); it entered into force on 28 June 2025 and covers services where a contract with a consumer is concluded online, such as online shops, booking portals and banking apps. In France, the RGAA (Référentiel général d'amélioration de l'accessibilité) is mandatory for public bodies and for companies with an average annual turnover in France above 250 million euros; these organisations must publish an accessibility statement and a multi-year action plan.
- 06
The benchmark: WCAG 2.2 and EN 301 549
WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is the W3C benchmark with three levels, A, AA and AAA; most laws are based on level AA. The European harmonised standard EN 301 549 relies on WCAG 2.1 AA for the web. According to the W3C, content that conforms to WCAG 2.2 also conforms to WCAG 2.1 and 2.0, so aiming for WCAG 2.2 AA in a new project is the safest route for both.
- 07
First steps
First, determine whether you are covered and what your deadline is. Then scan your key pages with our free pre-check tool and have each page type tested with a keyboard and a screen reader. Fix the findings in the code in order of severity, and do not rely on accessibility overlays, which do not solve the problem. Finally, publish an accessibility statement and repeat the check as you add new content.
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