Turkey to Fast-track AI Patents, Tighten Oversight of High-risk Systems in Türkiye

The Turkish Patent and Trademark Office (TÜRKPATENT) plans to implement the system, which aims to shorten the examination period for industrial property applications related to AI projects. The system, targeted to be operational within a year, is designed to help companies and startups developing AI technology secure their rights over their innovations more quickly. The faster, rule-based process is also expected to assist investors in more easily evaluating the intellectual property status of a technology.

Not all AI projects will be evaluated the same way. The new regulation goes beyond speeding up patent processes, as Turkey also plans to subject AI systems to different rules based on the risk they pose. Simpler controls will apply to low-risk AI applications used in daily life. More comprehensive reviews will be conducted in areas that can directly affect people's lives, such as health, education, hiring, social assistance, credit assessment, biometric identification, law enforcement, and justice.