E-SCOOTER AND BICYCLE USAGE REGULATED
✓ The bicycle lane has been redefined by the law as “open to the use of e-scooters and closed to vehicles and pedestrians.”
✓ The General Directorate of Highways will be responsible for building bicycle lanes and noise barriers on the sides of highways.
✓ Minimum age in order to be able to use e-bikes and e-scooters on bicycle lanes on highways, will be 15.
✓ Drivers will have to give the right of way to bicyclist and e-scooter riders when turning right and left.
✓ If there is a separate bicycle lane, e-scooters will not be driven on the carriageway, and motorcycles cannot be driven on the bicycle lane.
✓ E-scooters cannot be used on highways, intercity highways and highways with a speed limit of 50km/h, and the transport of passengers and items other than personal belongings on the back is prohibited.
✓ Metropolitan municipalities will also be responsible for building cycle and e-scooter lanes, parking lots and charging stations. The metropolitan municipalities will have to include bicycle transportation in their transportation master plans or to prepare a bicycle transportation master plan.
✓ With the same law, the district municipalities have been given the responsibility to build, operate and license regional and open parking lots. The revenues collected by district municipalities will be used to purchase lands for the construction of regional parking lots.
TURKEY ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCY GOES OFFICIAL
The Law Amending Certain Laws and the Establishment of the Environmental Agency was published in the Official Gazette. Accordingly, the Turkey Environmental Agency will be established to further develop the Zero Waste project, which was launched by the Ministry of Environment and Urban Planning. The agency will also work to effectively target the collection of beverage packaging. In line with the environmental strategies and policies determined by the Ministry, the agency will carry out the establishment and operation of the deposit management system. The Agency will contribute to the activities related to integrating recyclable products back into the economy and managing recyclable waste. The Turkey Environmental Agency will also produce promotional materials and events like publications, information campaigns and competitions in order to create public awareness.
ATAK FACTORING’S OPERATING LICENSE CANCELLED
The Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK) decided to cancel the operating license of Atak Factoring AS. According to the BDDK’s decision published in the •fficial Gazette on December 30, the operating license of Atak Factoring AS was canceled at the company’s own request. The decision was made in accordance with the Law on Financial Leasing, Factoring and Financing Companies.
2021 MINIMUM WAGE ANNOUNCED
The communique on minimum wage effective as of 2021 has been published in the •fficial Gazette on December 30. In accordance with the communique published by the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Services, the wage of a worker for a full day of work will be TRY 119 between January 1 and December 31, 2021. The salary was decided by a majority of votes despite the opposition of workers’ representatives. The gross minimum wage has been determined as TRY 3,578 per month and the monthly net minimum wage has been specified as TRY 2,826.
DEBT RESTRUCTURING DEADLINE EXTENDED
The time period for debtor to benefit from an extension in the application deadline and first installment payment for tax and administrative fines has been extended. The application deadline and the first installment payment date, originally determined as December 31, has been extended for another month for those who want to benefit from the restructuring, according to a Presidential Decree published in the Official Gazette on December 30.
REGULATION ON NOXIOUS COLORANTS IN TEXTILES
The effective date of the communique on inspections of noxious azo colorants in textiles, ready-made clothes, leather products and shoes through the Risk Based Trade Control System (TAREKS) has been extended to March 1, 2021.
THE DURATION OF CASH WAGE SUPPORT EXTENDED
The duration of the ban on lay-offs and cash wage support has been extended by two months as of January 17, 2021 with the Presidential Decree published in the Official Gazette on December 30.
