This Website Membership Agreement and Terms of Use (the “Agreement”) is concluded between the user who visits and/or becomes a member of the website at www.yucelkulturvakfi.org (the “Site”) (the “User/Member”) and the Yücel Cultural Foundation (the “Foundation”). The Agreement governs the terms of use of the Site, the principles of membership, the obligations of Users, and the basic rules concerning the processing of personal data.

2.1. Membership of the Site is free of charge. By logging into the Site, using the Site and/or carrying out transactions through the Site (donation, application, registration, etc.), the User shall be deemed to have accepted the provisions of this Agreement and any additional instructions, rules and restrictions set out on the Site.

2.2. To become a Member, the membership registration form must be completed fully and accurately. Memberships of users whose information contains errors, inconsistencies or matters giving rise to doubt may be suspended or terminated by the Foundation.

2.3. The Member accepts, represents and undertakes that the personal and other information provided when becoming a member of the Site is accurate and that the Member shall compensate the Foundation for any direct losses it may incur as a result of false statements.

2.4. To become a Member, a valid mobile telephone number must be entered. A verification code is sent to the mobile telephone by Short Message Service (SMS); membership is completed upon entry of this code.

3.1. Membership may be required in order to benefit from scholarships, cultural programmes, national/international exchange programmes and similar activities offered by the Foundation.

3.2. If membership ends, the User may lose the right to benefit from the opportunities provided by the Foundation.

The Foundation may take photographs and video recordings within the scope of its events. Publication of such recordings in publicly accessible media is carried out in accordance with the participant’s explicit consent given within the scope of the application forms.

5.1. Payments made for the purpose of supporting the Foundation’s activities constitute donations.

5.2. As a rule, donations made pursuant to the Turkish Civil Code and legislation governing foundations are non-refundable.

5.3. However, a refund may be considered in the event of a technical error, duplicate payment or a clear transaction error attributable to the Foundation.

6.1. Where the Member wishes to terminate membership, the Member must send written notice stating “I wish to terminate my membership” to info@yucelkulturvakfi.org from the e-mail address used to register on the Site, also specifying the registered mobile telephone number. Membership shall be terminated within a reasonable period after identity verification has been completed.

6.2. Upon termination of membership, all rights and benefits granted to the Member shall automatically cease. Upon termination of membership, the Member may lose the right to benefit from the opportunities provided by the Foundation.

6.3. The Foundation may refuse to allow users whose membership has been terminated due to breach of the Agreement, unlawful use or activities endangering the security of the Foundation to create a new membership using the same contact details.

6.4. The Foundation may retain data deemed necessary within the scope of its legal obligations and legitimate interests for the periods prescribed by applicable legislation.

Membership created by the Member of the Member’s own free will is personal to the Member. The Member may not transfer, sell, lease or otherwise make the membership available for use by third parties.

The User is responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of the account information and password used to access the Site. The User is responsible for all transactions that may be carried out by the User or through the User’s account (application, registration, content sharing, etc.).

The User may not use the Site in a manner that disrupts public order, is contrary to public morals, disturbs or harasses third parties, pursues unlawful purposes, or infringes the intellectual or industrial property rights of third parties. The User may not make the services available for use by third parties or make them the subject of commercial activities such as leasing or offering them for sale. The User may also not engage in acts that prevent or make it difficult for others to use the Site (spam, viruses, Trojan horses, etc.).

All content on the Site, including text, images, logos, graphics, designs, document layouts, typefaces, music, software tools, databases and other elements (“Content”), is protected under the Law on Intellectual and Artistic Works and applicable legislation. The Content belongs to the Foundation or is used by the Foundation under licence. Without the Foundation’s written permission, the Content may not be reproduced, published, modified, adapted, communicated to the public or used for commercial purposes.

The User represents and undertakes that the photographs and images used in the User’s profile or applications belong to the User or that the User has the right to use them, and that they do not infringe the personality rights or intellectual property rights of third parties. The User shall bear any civil and criminal liability that may otherwise arise.

12.1. Any writing, text, image, photograph, video, audio recording or similar content submitted by Users to the Site for publication (“User Content”) may be published if deemed appropriate by the Foundation. The Foundation is free to decide whether or not to publish User Content and may, without being required to provide any reason, refuse publication, remove published content or discontinue publication.

12.2. The User accepts, represents and undertakes that the User has all rights and permissions required in respect of the User Content submitted and that such content does not infringe the personality rights, copyrights or other intellectual property rights of third parties. The User is responsible for any claims, demands, complaints and losses that may arise in this context and accepts that the User shall promptly compensate the Foundation for any losses it may incur.

12.3. In respect of User Content submitted to the Site, the User accepts that the User grants the Foundation (and, where necessary within the scope of projects/brands operated by the Foundation, the relevant business partners) a perpetual, worldwide, irrevocable and royalty-free licence to use, reproduce, publish, process, adapt, convert formats, archive and communicate the content to the public on the Site and through the Foundation’s communication channels and to use it in promotional/informational activities.

This licence shall remain valid in respect of uses made in the past even if removal of the User Content from publication is requested.

12.4. If the User requests the removal of published content, the Foundation shall assess the request and take action within a reasonable period to the extent technically and operationally possible. However, the content may not be completely deleted where retention is required in connection with legal obligations, archive records, log records, rights of legal defence and legitimate interests.

13.1. Cookies and similar technologies may be used on the Site in order to improve the user experience, ensure the operation of services, maintain security and analyse performance.

13.2. Cookies may provide information such as how and when the Foundation’s Site is visited, the number of visitors, page views and similar usage statistics.

13.3. Cookies may be used for the following purposes:

• Monitoring Member activity,
• Maintaining a secure session during a single session without requiring you to re-enter your password,
• Enabling use of the services and ensuring that Site functions operate.

14.1. By approving this Agreement, the User accepts that the Foundation may provide information through e-mail, SMS and similar electronic communication channels. The User has the right to change communication preferences at any time.

14.2. The User may notify the Foundation by sending an e-mail to info@yucelkulturvakfi.org in order to change communication preferences or unsubscribe from the communication list.

14.3. The User accepts that, if communication channels are disabled, the User may not be informed of programmes, scholarships, campaigns and similar opportunities offered by the Foundation and may not impose any liability on the Foundation on this basis.

14.4. The User accepts in advance that the Foundation shall not be responsible for any lack of information that may arise because communication channels have been disabled.

15.1. Data Controller: Under the Personal Data Protection Law No. 6698 (“KVKK”), the data controller is the Yücel Cultural Foundation.

15.2. Personal Data Processed: Within the scope of membership and use of the Site, the following may be processed: name, surname, e-mail address, telephone number, IP address, device/session information, transaction records, application and participation information, and other information provided by the User.

15.3. Purposes of Processing Personal Data: Personal data is processed for the purposes of (i) carrying out membership procedures, (ii) managing application/registration/participation processes, (iii) carrying out donation processes, (iv) carrying out communication activities, (v) ensuring Site security, (vi) developing and improving services, (vii) fulfilling obligations arising from legislation, and (viii) establishing, exercising and protecting rights in legal disputes.

15.4. Legal Basis: Personal data is processed pursuant to Article 5/2 of the KVKK on the legal bases of entering into and performing a contract, fulfilling the legal obligations of the data controller, the establishment/exercise/protection of a right, and the legitimate interests of the Foundation. Explicit consent is obtained where required by law.

15.5. Transfer of Personal Data: Personal data may, to the extent permitted by legislation and subject to the necessary security measures, be transferred to service providers/business partners from whom services are obtained (hosting, infrastructure, e-mail/SMS services, technical support, etc.), limited to the purposes stated above.

15.6. Transfer Abroad (USA - AWS): The Site infrastructure is hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud infrastructure. In this context, personal data may be stored in the United States on AWS servers acting as a technical service provider. The Foundation takes the necessary technical and administrative measures and implements applicable security safeguards for transfers of data abroad within the scope of Article 9 of the KVKK.

15.7. Retention Period: Personal data is retained for the periods prescribed by applicable legislation and/or for as long as required by the purpose of processing; at the end of such period, it is deleted, destroyed or anonymised in accordance with applicable legislation.

15.8. Rights under Article 11 of the KVKK: Under Article 11 of the KVKK, the User has the right to learn whether personal data is being processed; request information if it has been processed; learn whether it is being used in accordance with its purpose; request correction if it has been processed incompletely or inaccurately; request its deletion/destruction; request notification thereof to third parties; and object where the legal conditions are met.

15.9. Application Method: Requests within the scope of the KVKK may be submitted by sending an e-mail to info@yucelkulturvakfi.org. The Foundation may request identity verification depending on the nature of the request.

The Foundation may temporarily suspend the system or partially or completely discontinue services due to maintenance work, technical requirements, security risks or force majeure. The Foundation shall not be liable for any losses arising therefrom unless caused by its intent or gross negligence.

The Foundation is obliged to take reasonable technical and administrative security measures. However, despite all security measures, the Foundation shall not be liable for losses resulting from unlawful interference by third parties unless caused by the Foundation’s intent or gross negligence.

The Parties agree that the Foundation’s electronic records, system logs, database records and other digital records shall constitute conclusive evidence in disputes within the scope of Article 193 of the Turkish Code of Civil Procedure.

Natural disasters, war, epidemics, acts of terrorism, decisions of public authorities, internet infrastructure outages, power outages, cyberattacks, service interruptions caused by suppliers and similar circumstances beyond the control of the Parties and which cannot be prevented shall be considered force majeure. In the event of force majeure, the Foundation’s obligations shall be suspended for the duration of the force majeure event; the Foundation shall not be held liable on this basis.

The Foundation reserves the right, at any time and for reasons of security, technical necessity, legal requirements or operational reasons, to partially or completely suspend, discontinue and/or terminate the services offered on the Site, membership or access.

The User may not make misleading, false or unfair statements targeting the Foundation or damaging its institutional reputation. The User accepts that the User is personally responsible for any legal consequences arising from such actions.

The Foundation reserves the right to amend this Agreement. The updated text enters into force on the date on which it is published on the Site. The User’s continued use of the Site after an amendment shall mean that the User has accepted the updated terms.

This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the Republic of Türkiye. The Courts and Enforcement Offices of Istanbul (European Side) shall have jurisdiction over disputes that may arise from this Agreement.

By becoming a member of the Site and/or continuing to use the Site, the User shall be deemed to have accepted the provisions of this Agreement.

Effective Date

24 February 2026

Last Updated

24 February 2026

Version No.

1.1

This Agreement was last updated on the date indicated above. The User is responsible for regularly checking the current version of the Agreement.