Last month (5 August), the Turkish Government published its new construction regulations in the Official Gazette.[1]

The regulations specify the use of digital construction techniques, with explicit reference to ISO 19650 - an international standard which was originally developed based on the UK BIM standards. It governs the organisation and digitisation of information about buildings and civil engineering works to increase collaboration and project efficiencies.

Over the past two years, the UK-Türkiye Digital Construction Partnership has been supporting knowledge exchange and pilot projects between the two countries, alongside the sharing of UK digital construction expertise and lessons learnt. The partnership has been delivered together with Türkiye’s Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, Connected Places Catapult, and the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade of the United Kingdom, as part of the Digital Construction International Programme.

The new regulations feature a phased implementation timetable, with BIM-related requirements progressively coming into force between 2029 and 2033. They include the introduction of detailed BIM requirements covering model structure, naming conventions, attributes, development levels and quality control, plus a requirement for BIM models to be delivered in IFC (ISO 16739-1) format. They also introduce the Electronic Project Management System (e-PYS), which will digitalise project submission, review and approval processes.

The Digital Construction International Programme is set to continue working with officials in Türkiye to support the implementation of the new regulations. The closer alignment of standards and working processes between the UK and Türkiye represents a significant opportunity for businesses in both countries to benefit from deepening trade links.

David Reed MBE, His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Eastern Europe and Central Asia and Consul General to Istanbul, welcomed the new regulations on LinkedIn:

UK businesses have already been engaged in helping share knowledge gained from 10+ years of BIM implementation experience in the UK to Turkish officials. British SME Okana supported a recent pilot project in the Istanbul district of Esenler, where digital construction techniques were implemented as part of a housing development project.

 “We are pleased to have supported Türkiye’s Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change by demonstrating the benefits of digital construction techniques as part of the pilot project in Esenler. This work showed where they could gain the most value from BIM during the development of their new regulations.”

“As a consultancy specialising in the built environment ourselves, we can clearly see the benefit that closer alignment of standards between the two countries will bring, and the commercial opportunities that could be opened up as a result of this.”

Dr Melanie Robinson, Strategy Director at Okana

 “Türkiye has a thriving construction sector and is spending billions of pounds on infrastructure each year.  These new regulations have the potential to unlock the benefits of digital construction, including improving efficiency, reducing carbon, boosting productivity and reducing costs.

“For businesses in both countries, this is a huge opportunity to work together through shared standards. We look forward to continuing to support Türkiye on this journey to turn these standards into real benefits for the construction sector as the new regulations are implemented.”

Geoff Stevens, Director of Built Environment at Connected Places Catapult

[1] 5 Ağustos 2026 ÇARŞAMBA - Digitally Designing Architectural and Engineering Projects

Regulations on its Preparation; and 5 Ağustos 2026 ÇARŞAMBA - Architectural and Engineering Projects in an Electronic Environment Regulations on Delivery and Management