Turkey's parliament, the Grand National Assembly, has passed a bill that restricts social media access for children under the age of 15, according to a report by AP News. The measure clears the legislative chamber and advances Turkey's ongoing effort to impose age-based controls on digital platforms operating in the country.

The passage marks the deciding body — the Turkish parliament — approving a statutory framework that would block users under 15 from accessing social media services. The bill now proceeds through the remaining stages of Turkey's legislative process before it can take effect as binding law.

What does the bill do?

The legislation establishes a restriction on social media access for minors under 15. Under the framework approved by parliament, children in that age group would face limits on their ability to use social media platforms. The precise mechanics of enforcement — whether through platform-side age verification, identity checks at registration, or technical access restrictions imposed by service providers — determine how the rule will operate in practice for companies serving Turkish users.

Turkey has an established history of regulating online platforms, and this bill extends that regulatory apparatus into the age-verification sphere. For platforms, the practical consequence is a compliance obligation tied to a specific age threshold: services must be capable of determining whether a Turkish user is under 15 and restricting access accordingly.

Who decided, and where does the bill go next?

The Grand National Assembly of Turkey passed the bill. Passage through parliament is the central legislative step, but under Turkey's constitutional procedure, a bill does not become law upon passage alone. The text moves to the next stages of the enactment process — publication and entry into force — which will fix the date from which platforms and users must comply.

Practitioners advising social media companies with Turkish operations should track the final published text. implementing rules and enforcement guidance will determine:

• which entities count as "social media" services under the statute;
• how age verification must be performed for users in Turkey;
• what penalties attach to non-compliance; and
• when the obligations take effect.

Why does this matter for platforms and counsel?

Age-based access restrictions raise a distinct set of legal questions that sit at the intersection of platform regulation, data protection and children's rights. Verification of a user's age typically requires processing personal data, which in Turkey engages the country's data protection regime governed by the Personal Data Protection Authority (KVKK). Counsel for platforms will need to reconcile the access restriction with lawful-basis and minimisation requirements for any identity or age data collected to demonstrate compliance.

The bill also fits a wider pattern. Lawmakers in several jurisdictions have pursued age minimums or age-verification mandates for social media over recent years, and Turkey's parliament has now added its own statutory restriction at the 15-year threshold. Companies operating across borders will see Turkey's measure as part of a growing patchwork of divergent age rules, each carrying its own verification and compliance expectations.

What should practitioners watch?

Three follow-on developments will shape the practical impact of the legislation.

First, the final published text. Amendments made during the legislative process can alter definitions, thresholds and duties, so the enacted version controls.

Second, enforcement mechanics. The statute's effect on platforms and minors depends on implementing measures — age-verification standards, penalties and supervisory responsibility — that give the restriction operational content.

Third, timing. Compliance obligations begin on the law's effective date once the remaining steps in Turkey's enactment process conclude.

For now, the decisive fact stands: the Turkish parliament has passed a bill restricting social media access for users under 15, and the measure is moving toward becoming enforceable law. Platforms with Turkish users, and the lawyers who advise them, should prepare for age-verification obligations keyed to that threshold.