This Information Notice has been prepared by the Yücel Cultural Foundation (the “Foundation” or “YCF”), acting in its capacity as data controller, in accordance with Article 10 of the Law No. 6698 on the Protection of Personal Data (“PDPL”) and the Communiqué on the Procedures and Principles to be Followed in Fulfilling the Obligation to Inform, in order to inform you about the purposes for which your personal data are processed, to whom and for what purposes they may be transferred, the method and legal grounds for the collection of personal data, and your rights set forth under Article 11 of the PDPL.
This Notice is addressed to the relevant persons who visit the website located at www.yucelkulturvakfi.org, become members of the website, apply for or participate in scholarship, culture, education, exchange, event, reservation, donation and similar processes carried out by the Foundation, carry out transactions within the scope of the Culture Hunters Program, submit content, contact the Foundation and/or benefit from the services offered by the Foundation.
1. Identity of the Data Controller
Under the PDPL, the data controller with respect to your personal data is the Yücel Cultural Foundation.
Data Controller: Yücel Cultural Foundation
Address: Alemdar Mah. Alemdar Cad. No: 3, 34110 Sultanahmet Fatih - Istanbul, Türkiye
Telephone: +90 212 522 10 74
Website: https://www.yucelkulturvakfi.org
E-mail Address: info@yucelkulturvakfi.org
2. Collection of Personal Data and Legal Grounds
Your personal data are collected, by wholly or partially automated means or by non-automated means provided that they form part of a data recording system, through website membership forms, SMS verification processes, the completion of scholarship/program/event/reservation application and registration forms in physical or electronic environment, donation and payment transactions, e-mail, telephone, the website, cookies, server and system logs, the uploading or submission of content by the user to the Website, event participation processes, physical meetings and similar channels.
Your personal data are processed based on the following legal grounds set forth in Article 5/2 of the PDPL:
c) Processing of personal data of the parties to a contract is necessary, provided that it is directly related to the establishment or performance of a contract (creation of website membership, management of user accounts, conduct of application and participation processes, establishment of reservation and usage agreements, conduct of processes related to the Culture Hunters Program, and execution of donation and payment transactions).
ç) Processing is mandatory for the data controller to fulfill its legal obligations.
e) Processing is mandatory for the establishment, exercise or protection of a right.
f) Processing is mandatory for the legitimate interests of the data controller, provided that such processing does not violate the fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject (ensuring the security of the Website and systems, protection of user accounts, conduct of Foundation activities, management and security of the center, prevention of irregular transactions and misuse, planning and coordination of events).
In cases where explicit consent is required by law, your personal data may also be processed based on your explicit consent.
3. Purposes of Processing Personal Data
Your personal data collected through website membership, Website use, application and participation processes, the Reservation Request Form, the Culture Hunters Program and other activities carried out by the Foundation (such as name, surname, institution name, age/date of birth information, contact information, membership information, application and participation information, payment and transaction information, IP address, device/session information, transaction security records, user content and similar data) are processed for the following purposes:
Management of Membership Processes: Creation of website membership, opening of user accounts, execution of login processes, SMS verification, ensuring account security, updating membership information, and the management of suspension or termination of membership.
Management of Application, Registration and Participation Processes: Conduct of application, evaluation, registration, admission, waiting list, participation and follow-up processes relating to scholarships, cultural programs, national/international exchange programs, events, reservations and similar Foundation activities.
Management of Reservation Processes: Receipt, evaluation, approval and follow-up of reservation requests made for the Performance Center and its annexes.
Performance of Contracts: Establishment, conduct and full performance of contractual processes relating to approved reservations, membership relations, the Culture Hunters Program, event participation and similar services.
Conduct of Culture Hunters Program Processes: Creation of user status within the scope of the Culture Hunters Program, conduct of program-related application and participation processes, enabling the exercise of event participation rights, ensuring the organizational flow, carrying out event leadership processes, and enforcing program rules.
Event Organization and Coordination: Identification of event participants, preparation of participant lists, provision of event-related notifications, and, where necessary, sharing participants’ contact information with the Event Leader and relevant organizational officers for the purposes of organization and coordination.
Communication: Establishing prompt and accurate communication with you regarding membership, applications, reservations, donations, events, programs and other processes, providing information, sending notifications, responding to your requests and complaints, and resolving possible issues.
Management and Security of the Center: Planning and organization of the internal functioning of the Performance Center and the physical areas used by the Foundation, ensuring physical site security, and resolving possible legal disputes.
Website and Information Systems Security: Secure operation of the Website, protection of user accounts, keeping system logs, ensuring transaction security, and prevention of unauthorized access, spam, malicious software, fraud and similar misuse.
Financial Obligations: Monitoring, recording, accounting and, where necessary, assessing refund processes in relation to fees or payments accrued in return for reservations, participation, donations and use, and carrying out financial operations.
Legal Obligations: Fulfillment of the Foundation’s legal obligations arising from the applicable legislation, provision of information to authorized institutions and organizations, and conduct of official audit and inspection processes.
Content Management: Evaluation, publication, removal from publication, archiving and, where necessary, use as evidence in legal proceedings of articles, comments, visuals, photographs, videos, audio recordings and similar content submitted or uploaded to the Website by the user.
Development and Improvement of Services: Measuring Website performance, improving user experience, enhancing services, conducting analyses and making statistical evaluations.
Visual Recording and Documentation Processes: Taking photographs, video and audio recordings during events; storing and archiving such recordings; and, where necessary, publishing them in publicly accessible media based on explicit consent.
4. Persons to Whom Personal Data May Be Transferred and Purposes of Transfer
Your personal data may be transferred, in line with the processing purposes specified above and in accordance with the conditions set forth under Articles 8 and 9 of the PDPL, to the following persons and entities:
Authorized Public Institutions and Organizations: Official authorities legally authorized to request such data, regulatory and supervisory authorities, courts, enforcement offices and judicial authorities.
Business Partners and Service Providers: Third-party consultants, suppliers and service providers from whom services are received in fields such as accounting, legal services, information technologies, servers, hosting, cloud computing, software, security, SMS, e-mail, payment systems, technical support and similar areas, where such transfer is necessary for the conduct of business processes.
Relevant Persons Involved in Event and Program Processes: Only where necessary for the organization and coordination of the event or program, and in a limited and proportionate manner, Event Leaders, organizational officers and relevant project/event authorities.
Collaborating Institutions and Organizations: Institutions and organizations with which cooperation is established, to the extent necessary for the conduct of the relevant program, project, scholarship, event or exchange activity, in compliance with the principle of data minimization.
Transfers of personal data abroad shall be carried out only where necessary and in accordance with Article 9 of the PDPL and the relevant decisions of the Personal Data Protection Board, on the basis of your explicit consent or the existence of other conditions stipulated by law.
5. Transfer of Personal Data Abroad and Technical Infrastructure
The Website infrastructure may be hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS) and similar technical infrastructures connected to foreign jurisdictions. Within this scope, your personal data may be stored or processed on servers located abroad for the purpose of providing the technical service. The Foundation takes due care to implement the necessary technical and administrative measures for the transfer of personal data abroad pursuant to Article 9 of the PDPL. Where explicit consent is required, your explicit consent shall also be obtained separately.
6. Cookies and Similar Technologies
Cookies and similar technologies may be used on the Website for the purposes of improving user experience, ensuring the functioning of the services, maintaining session security, analyzing Website performance, generating usage statistics and reducing security risks. In this context, technical data regarding how users use the Website may be processed.
7. Retention Period
Your personal data shall be retained for the periods stipulated by the applicable legislation and/or for the period required by the purpose of processing. Even in the event of termination of membership or completion of the relevant process, accounting records, transaction records, log records, application records, dispute files and similar data may continue to be retained for the period necessary within the scope of the Foundation’s legal obligations, the establishment, exercise or protection of a right, and its legitimate interests. At the end of the relevant retention period, personal data shall be deleted, destroyed or anonymized in accordance with the applicable legislation.
8. Rights of the Relevant Person (Data Subject)
Pursuant to Article 11 of the PDPL, by applying to the Foundation, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:
a. To learn whether your personal data are processed,
b. To request information if your personal data have been processed,
c. To learn the purpose of processing of your personal data and whether they are used in accordance with such purpose,
ç. To know the third parties to whom your personal data are transferred domestically or abroad,
d. To request the correction of your personal data if they are processed incompletely or inaccurately,
e. To request the deletion or destruction of your personal data within the framework of the conditions set forth in Article 7 of the PDPL,
f. To request notification of the transactions carried out pursuant to subparagraphs (d) and (e) to third parties to whom your personal data have been transferred,
g. To object to the occurrence of a result against yourself by means of the analysis of the processed data exclusively through automated systems,
ğ. To request compensation for damages in the event that you suffer damage due to the unlawful processing of your personal data.
9. Method of Application
In order to exercise your rights set out above, you may submit your request in writing and with wet signature by filling out the “Data Subject Application Form” and delivering it by hand to Alemdar Mah. Alemdar Cad. No: 3, 34110 Sultanahmet Fatih - Istanbul, Türkiye, sending it through a notary public, or forwarding it with a secure electronic signature to info@yucelkulturvakfi.org.
The Foundation shall finalize the requests included in the application as soon as possible and, in any case, within thirty days free of charge, depending on the nature of the request. However, if the process requires an additional cost, the fee determined by the Personal Data Protection Board may be charged.
10. Entry into Force and Amendments
This Information Notice enters into force on the date it is published on the Foundation’s website. The Foundation reserves the right to amend this Notice in line with changes in legislation, technical infrastructure or operational processes. The updated text shall become effective as of the date on which it is published on the website.
Effective Date: 10 March 2026
Last Updated: 10 March 2026
Version No: 2.0
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