With the submission to the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye on 05.05.2026 of the Draft Bill on Amendments to Certain Laws (the “Draft Bill”), it is proposed to broaden the scope of certain tax incentives currently applicable within the Istanbul Finance Center (“IFC”) and to extend their duration. The Draft Bill also introduces new incentive mechanisms for “qualified service centers” to operate within the IFC.

According to the general rationale of the Draft Bill, the proposed amendments are intended to enhance Türkiye’s international competitiveness, encourage the inflow of foreign currency into the country, support the export of qualified services, and maintain the incentives available within the IFC.

The main proposed amendments of significance for the IFC are summarized below:

a) Main tax-related regulations proposed within the scope of the IFC

The Draft Bill envisages various tax-related regulations for participants operating in the IFC and for qualified service centers. In this context, the Draft Bill includes provisions relating to the remuneration of personnel employed in qualified service centers, income derived from the activities of qualified service centers and transit trade activities, the expansion of the scope of the current regime in the IFC to cover participants more broadly, the extension of certain periods, and regulations concerning the calculation of the minimum corporate tax.

The article rationales state that these proposed amendments are intended to support the export of qualified services, promote transit trade, increase the inflow of foreign currency into the country, and strengthen the attractiveness of the IFC for international investors.

b) New framework for qualified service centers

The Draft Bill introduces the definition of a “qualified service center” into Law No. 4875 on Foreign Direct Investments and establishes the basic framework applicable to such structures. Accordingly, it is envisaged that joint stock companies or limited liability companies meeting certain conditions and essentially providing services to related companies or groups of companies abroad will fall within this scope.

The rationale of the relevant article states that this amendment is intended to strengthen Türkiye’s position as a regional service hub for international companies.

c) Entry into force

Pursuant to the entry-into-force provision of the Draft Bill, certain provisions that are significant for the IFC will apply to corporate income relating to tax periods commencing as of 01.01.2026 and starting with tax returns to be filed as of 01.07.2026. The other relevant provisions are, as a rule, envisaged to enter into force on the date of publication.

The above-mentioned amendments are still in the form of a draft bill and may be subject to change during the legislative process.

Bahar Ülgen Hasşerbetçi
Partner | bahar.ulgen@bener.com
Oya Türeoğlu
Senior Associate | oya.tureoglu@bener.com