Privacy Note

Last Updated: September 4, 2026

Privacy Notice

At Prof. Dr. Gökhan Meriç, we respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data. This Privacy Notice explains how personal data may be collected, used, stored and protected when you visit this website, contact us, request an appointment or use the services provided through our website.

This notice has been prepared in accordance with applicable data protection legislation, including the Turkish Personal Data Protection Law No. 6698 (“KVKK”) and, where applicable, the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”).

1. Data Controller

The data controller responsible for the processing of your personal data is:

Prof. Dr. Gökhan Meriç
Orthopaedics and Traumatology Specialist
Istanbul, Türkiye

Email: drgokhanmeric@gmail.com
Phone: +90 532 427 67 08

For questions regarding the processing of your personal data or your privacy rights, you may contact us using the information above.

2. Personal Data We May Collect

Depending on how you interact with our website, we may collect the following categories of personal data:

Contact Information

Name and surname
Telephone number
Email address
Country or city of residence

Appointment and Communication Information

Information you provide when requesting an appointment
Your correspondence and communications with us
Information contained in enquiries submitted through the website

Health Information

If you voluntarily provide information regarding your medical condition, symptoms, previous treatments, medical history, diagnostic results, photographs or other medical information in order to receive information or arrange a medical consultation, such information may constitute special category personal data concerning health under applicable data protection legislation.

We recommend that you do not provide unnecessary medical information through general website forms or unsecured communication channels.

Technical and Usage Information

When you visit the website, certain technical information may be automatically collected, including:

IP address
Browser and device information
Operating system
Pages visited
Date and time of visits
Referring website
Website interaction and usage information

This information may be collected through cookies and similar technologies, subject to applicable legislation and your preferences.

3. Purposes of Processing Personal Data

Your personal data may be processed for the following purposes:

Responding to your questions and enquiries
Managing appointment requests
Communicating with you regarding requested services
Providing information about medical services and treatment options
Conducting medical consultation and healthcare services where applicable
Maintaining and managing patient or enquiry records
Improving website functionality and user experience
Ensuring website security and preventing misuse
Complying with legal and regulatory obligations
Protecting and exercising legal rights
Measuring website performance and, where permitted, conducting digital marketing activities

Your personal data will not be processed for purposes incompatible with those described above unless permitted or required by applicable law.

4. Legal Grounds for Processing

Depending on the nature of the processing activity, personal data may be processed on the basis of one or more applicable legal grounds, including:

Your explicit consent, where required;
The establishment or performance of a contract or requested service;
Compliance with legal obligations;
The establishment, exercise or protection of legal rights;
Where permitted by law, legitimate interests that do not override your fundamental rights and freedoms;
The specific legal grounds applicable to the processing of special category personal data, including health data.

Under Turkish law, health information is classified as special category personal data and is subject to enhanced protection requirements.

5. Processing of Health Information

Because this website relates to medical services, you may choose to provide information concerning your health when contacting us.

Health information will only be processed where there is an appropriate legal basis under applicable data protection legislation and only to the extent necessary for the relevant purpose.

Where required, explicit consent will be obtained separately from this Privacy Notice.

Providing information about your health is not required merely to browse this website.

For your security, please avoid sending detailed medical records, laboratory results, imaging files or other sensitive medical information through general contact forms unless specifically requested through an appropriate communication channel.

6. How We Collect Personal Data

Personal data may be collected through:

Contact and appointment forms
Email communications
Telephone communications
Website interactions
Cookies and similar technologies
Social media platforms when you interact with our social media profiles or content
Information provided directly by you during consultation or communication

7. Sharing of Personal Data

Your personal data may be shared, where necessary and legally permitted, with:

Healthcare institutions and healthcare professionals involved in your treatment
Service providers supporting the operation of the website
Hosting, IT and technical service providers
Website analytics and technology providers
Communication service providers
Professional advisers and legal representatives
Competent public authorities and regulatory bodies where required by law

Personal data will only be shared where there is an appropriate legal basis and to the extent necessary for the relevant purpose.

8. International Data Transfers

Some of the technology, hosting, analytics, communication or social media services used by this website may be operated by companies located outside Türkiye.

Where personal data is transferred outside Türkiye, appropriate safeguards and legally permitted transfer mechanisms will be applied in accordance with applicable data protection legislation.

Where applicable, international transfers will be carried out in accordance with the requirements of the KVKK and, where relevant, the GDPR.

9. Cookies and Similar Technologies

This website may use cookies and similar technologies to ensure that the website functions properly, understand how visitors use the website and, where permitted, measure the effectiveness of our communication and marketing activities.

Cookies may include:

Essential cookies: Necessary for the operation and security of the website.
Analytics cookies: Used to understand website traffic and usage.
Preference cookies: Used to remember certain user preferences.
Marketing cookies: Where applicable, used to measure advertising performance or deliver relevant advertising.

Where legally required, non-essential cookies will only be activated after obtaining the necessary consent.

You can manage or withdraw your cookie preferences through the available cookie settings on the website or through your browser settings.

10. Data Retention

Personal data will be retained only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, to provide requested services, to comply with legal obligations, to resolve disputes or to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

Different categories of personal data may therefore be retained for different periods depending on the applicable legal and professional requirements.

When personal data is no longer required, it will be securely deleted, destroyed or anonymised where legally appropriate.

11. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against:

Unauthorised access
Unauthorised disclosure
Accidental loss
Destruction
Alteration
Unlawful processing

However, no method of transmission or electronic storage can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

12. Contact

If you have questions about this Privacy Notice, your personal data, or wish to exercise your applicable data protection rights, please contact: