New regulation for second-hand sales in Istanbul

The Istanbul Governor's Office has introduced a new regulation for second-hand goods and scrap trading in the city. It has now become mandatory for businesses operating in this sector to issue a document containing detailed information regarding their buying and selling transactions.

In a statement from the Governor's Office, it was emphasized that the buying and selling of second-hand goods and scrap without any official record causes serious difficulties in identifying stolen materials and tracking criminal elements. With the decision taken to prevent this situation, it was stated that businesses must issue a "Second-Hand Material Purchase and Sale" document for every transaction.

The document must include the characteristics and quantity of the items sold, as well as the identity information and addresses of both the buyer and the seller. It was announced that the practice applies to all second-hand goods and scrap trading businesses operating within the borders of Istanbul.

It was stated that this regulation is an important step both for faster recovery of stolen goods and for the sector to operate in a more transparent manner.

The statement, which touched upon the details of the regulation, included the following information:

The issuance of a 'Second-Hand Goods Purchase and Sale Document' specifying the identity and address information of the individuals, the date of the transaction, and the quantity and characteristics of the items for those buying and selling second-hand electronic and household appliances (such as mobile phones, computers, tablets, cameras, televisions, refrigerators, washing machines, dishwashers, batteries, copper materials, etc.); obtaining an invoice for the items and presenting this invoice when requested by law enforcement; recording second-hand goods purchases and sales, and maintaining an inventory list by businesses; installing security camera systems inside and outside of businesses engaged in scrap and second-hand goods trading; identifying businesses engaged in scrap and second-hand trading and obtaining a written undertaking from them not to engage in the purchase and sale of items subject to theft; not conducting second-hand goods/scrap purchases and sales with individuals under the age of 18 when they are not accompanied by their guardians; keeping the issued Second-Hand Material Purchase and Sale Document for a period of 1 year; and ensuring that individuals engaged in mobile scrap collection obtain the necessary documents from local administrations or the Provincial Directorate of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change and present them to the authorities when requested."

JUDICIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEEDINGS WILL BE INITIATED

The statement included the following: "Inspections by law enforcement units on the subject will continue uninterrupted, and judicial and administrative proceedings will be initiated against businesses determined to be acting in violation of the regulations brought by the circular."

The Istanbul Governor's Office has sent the decision regarding the regulation on scrap and second-hand material trading to the relevant public institutions and organizations.