The Aviation, Space and Technology Festival (TEKNOFEST), organized by Sanayi ve Teknoloji Bakanlığı and the T3 Foundation, is welcoming visitors at Şanlıurfa GAP Airport. KVKK President Prof. Dr. Faruk Bilir announced that Google has introduced a dedicated request option in Türkiye for the removal of personal data. Users enter the information they want removed; Google is required to state within 30 days whether the content will be removed. If the response is negative, an application can be submitted to the institution, and the board conducts an assessment. Bilir said the continued visibility on search engines of accurate and lawful information published in the past causes discomfort, and that individuals have the right to have such information removed from the index. Stating that artificial intelligence processes personal data, Bilir emphasized that technology and privacy are not at odds. He said artificial intelligence should be used transparently, accountably and with a human-centered approach. A person who attended TEKNOFEST wearing a symbolic warrior costume became the center of attention.
Why it matters
This measure provides a means of recourse for privacy concerns that arise when old, accurate and lawful online content affects people’s daily lives over time. Allowing a request rejected by Google to be referred to the institution ensures that the decision is not left solely to the search engine’s assessment. The process therefore raises the issue of balancing limits on visibility in search results, without completely deleting the content, against access to publicly available information. Artificial intelligence’s processing of personal data also requires the same framework to be applied to new technologies; however, how such use can be kept transparent and accountable remains an open question.
Background
Türkiye is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: we have published 156 news articles mentioning this name in the last 90 days; the latest was dated October 3, 2026.