Streaming sites face 2 pct tax to save cinemas
A new omnibus bill heading to the parliament floor this week proposes a 2 percent levy on digital streaming platforms to generate a financial lifeline for the country’s struggling cinema industry.
The proposed legislation requires pay-media services to transfer a fraction of their annual net sales directly to the Culture and Tourism Ministry. Official data reveals the measure will generate 417.1 million Turkish Liras annually,
while a concurrent regulation on cultural assets is expected to bring in another 635 million liras in 2026.
Audiences have largely abandoned theaters in recent years, driving the sector into a deep crisis. Ticket sales plummeted from a pre-pandemic peak of 77 million down to 29.7 million in 2025,
