At the start of 2026, administrative fines under the Turkish Data Protection Law (KVKK) were increased by 25.49%. The upper limit for a single data security breach now exceeds 17 million TRY. But what has really changed is not the figures — it is the Turkish Data Protection Authority’s approach to audits.
What Is the Authority Auditing Now?
In the past, audits were largely about document checks: do you have a compliance policy, is your VERBİS registration up to date, is your privacy notice in place? Organisations that could answer "yes" to these questions could often get through audits without major issues.
In 2026 the picture has changed. The Authority now looks beyond paper compliance and audits actual data flows and cyber resilience. For data destruction, this creates a critical difference: having a destruction policy is not enough — you must be able to prove how destruction is actually carried out.
Mistakes Organisations Make Most Often
When working with organisations in finance and industry, we repeatedly see the same gaps:
Lack of serial-number-based documentation. Saying "we had our disks destroyed" is not enough. Which device was destroyed, when, and by which method must be recorded by serial number. This is the first document requested in an audit.
Wrong method applied to SSDs. Degaussing — magnetic erasure — works on HDDs but is ineffective on SSDs and flash memory. These devices require dedicated software erasure or physical destruction. An SSD that appears "destroyed" by the wrong method may still hold recoverable data.
Backup tapes overlooked. When servers and hard drives are in focus, LTO tapes, DLT media and similar backup units are often forgotten. These are also in scope.
Transfers between group companies in group structures. Devices moving from one group company to another or sitting in a central warehouse often have unclear status. A single audit can lead to multiple fines for this reason.
Why Certified Destruction Matters
For KVKK audits, the accepted destruction document is a TS EN 15713 compliant certified destruction report issued by an accredited company. A document from your own team’s destruction may not be accepted in an audit.
At ProİMHA we issue an ISO 27001, KVKK and GDPR compliant, serial-number-based official destruction report for every destruction job. This report is the key document that will protect your organisation in a potential audit. For more on our services, see our Secure Data Destruction, Secure Data Erasure and On-Site Secure Destruction pages.
Video Recording: Visual Proof of the Destruction Process
Documents alone are not enough — proof is required. With this in mind we record every destruction process from start to finish on video.
The video recorded during the destruction process gives your organisation:
- Concrete evidence in audits. The Authority now examines the actual process. Video showing physical destruction, together with serial-number-based documentation, provides clear proof in an audit.
- Assurance for staff and management. For managers and KVKK officers who cannot witness the process in person, the video offers transparent assurance that the process was completed properly.
- Legal protection. In the event of a complaint or appeal, the video serves as a lasting record that protects your organisation and the team that performed the destruction.
Video recording is provided as standard for all our corporate destruction services.
Checklist: Quickly Assess Your Processes
Can you answer "yes" to the following?
- Has an inventory been taken of all decommissioned storage devices (HDD, SSD, USB, tape, mobile)?
- Has the appropriate destruction method been defined for each device type?
- Are destruction operations documented by serial number?
- Are the documents issued by a TS EN 15713 compliant certified company?
- Are destruction reports archived for at least 5 years?
- Has an annual destruction schedule been created?
If you answer "no" or "not sure" to any of these, it is time for a review.
KVKK Data Destruction Checklist
Download the checklist as a PDF to assess your current processes.
Detailed checklist and information
Contact us to download a detailed checklist or to discuss your current processes.
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