Are cookies harming your privacy?

Internet users consider that their activities on the Internet are being monitored almost every day for different reasons. Sometimes, the ads of a product that we've looked for via search engine on the previous day show up the next day and we are surprised by the suggestions offered by the internet sites as if they know us better than us. Moreover, there are even those who claim that the issues spoken during any conversation are shown as advertisements on the Internet in some ways. However, we continue to use the Internet sites without paying attention to what is written in the small boxes that we face when we first enter them. These small boxes often contain details about how our information and activities are collected and used through cookies, so that we can make better use of the websites.
Cookies are small text files with the .txt extension stored on the users' devices through the users' browsers, as opposed to a computer program that is actually believed. Contrary to what many people think, they cannot access other data stored on the hard disks of these devices when placed on a computer or mobile device.
It is useful to give an insight about the purposes and types of cookies to answer this question. Cookies may be used for a variety of purposes including the ability to continue with the information of the last page on a website, to remember our login information such as the user name and password and preferences and to present content and ads in line with our interests and needs. Different types of cookies are used to achieve these purposes.
There are two types of cookies with regards to retention period: session cookies and persistent cookies. A session cookie is stored in temporary memory and is not retained after the browser is closed. As we will explain below, the type of cookie required to provide instantly expected benefit from the website is basically these session cookies. For example, the cookies that keep your information until the session is closed on the websites providing online banking services are session cookies. As to persistent cookies, they remain in the devices until they are deleted from the browser by users or until they expire. Persistent cookies are used for provision of customized content and collection of statistical data about user's website activity.

Although there is no specific provision regarding the data processed by the cookies in the Law on the Protection of Personal Data (Law), this issue may be interpreted in the light of the European Union personal data legislation. It might be said that the data obtained by the cookies are considered as personal data to the extent that the relevant data allows to identify the natural person taking into account the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Directive 2002/58/EC on privacy in electronic communications (e-Privacy Directive). While the e-Privacy Directive, which applies to any type of cookies whether it processes personal data or not, is always one of the main sources; GDPR also should be considered in case the cookies process personal data. Since there is no specific legislation subject to the cookies in Turkey, the important point is whether the relevant cookie is collecting personal data. Therefore, companies or individuals who provide services through an online platform and use cookies and/or thirdparty interactions such as extension/button in this platform, should evaluate in detail the information gathered by the cookies used and should obtain the consent of the related persons if they use the cookies collecting personal data. Otherwise, relevant companies or individuals would be faced with allegations that no consent has been obtained for processing of personal data.