New era in online shopping: It has been made mandatory!
Minister of Trade Ömer Bolat announced that a requirement to maintain a representative has been imposed on foreign shopping sites selling products to Turkey. The new regulation aims to ensure consumer safety, tax oversight, and fair competition.
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Minister of Trade Ömer Bolat announced an important regulation concerning international e-commerce sites during the Opening Conference held as part of Product Safety Week.
According to Bolat's statement, a new legal requirement is being implemented for product sales made to Turkey through foreign-based digital shopping platforms.
MANDATORY REQUIREMENT TO MAINTAIN A REPRESENTATIVE IN TURKEY
With the new regulation, foreign-sourced e-commerce platforms will now be required to have an established economic operator in the country in order to sell products directly to Turkey. This new rule aims to both protect consumer rights more effectively and place trade on a more transparent foundation.
Evaluating the regulation, Minister Bolat emphasized that this step would ensure fairness in market conditions, stating, "With this practice, it will be ensured that foreign-origin e-commerce platforms compete on equal terms with domestic firms operating in Turkey."
It is stated that this decision also holds strategic importance in terms of strengthening tax oversight, increasing consumer safety, and preventing informal trade. The effective date of the new obligations will be clarified upon publication in the Official Gazette in the coming days.