1 NİSAN 2025 TE BAŞLAYAN E-TİCARET YÖNETMELİĞİ SATICILARI VE TÜKETİCİLERİ NASIL ETKİLEYECEK?

HOW WILL THE E-COMMERCE REGULATION START ON APRIL 1, 2025 AFFECT SELLERS AND CONSUMERS?

What Kind of Innovations Does the Regulation Bring?

The new regulation will use **artificial intelligence-supported systems** to detect non-compliant products and will examine advertisements more quickly. In addition, consumer complaint processes will be accelerated and it will be mandatory for foreign companies to have local representatives in Türkiye. Thanks to these inspection mechanisms, the accuracy of advertisements and product safety will be ensured more effectively.

From now on, the following information will be mandatory in every sales advertisement on the internet:

• Name, e-mail address and full address of the seller
• Manufacturer or importer information
• Turkish warnings and safety information
• Signs indicating the legal conformity of the product, such as CE mark and product photographs showing these clearly
• Type, model and descriptive information of the product

If any missing or misleading information is detected in the ad, the seller will be given 24 hours to make corrections. If the necessary corrections are not made within this period and the product poses a serious risk, access to the ad for the relevant product will be blocked.

In addition, companies sending products from abroad to Türkiye will be required to have a local representative in Türkiye. Companies that do not comply with this obligation will not be able to sell in the Turkish market.

In case of non-compliance with the provisions of the regulation, sanctions determined within the scope of the Product Safety and Technical Regulations Law will be applied and access to inappropriate content will be blocked.

What Does the New E-Commerce Regulation Mean for Sellers and Customers?

The **5-month** compliance period for sellers has ended and all sellers are required to bring their advertisements into compliance with the regulation. Product safety documents must be available and advertisement information must be provided completely. Sanctions and fines will be applied to sellers who do not comply with the regulation.

Companies selling products from abroad to Türkiye are required to have a local representative in Türkiye. Companies that do not comply with this obligation will not be able to sell in the Turkish market and the products of companies that do not meet the appropriate conditions will be removed from the platforms and their access will be blocked.

The points that sellers should pay attention to in order to comply with this process are as follows:

• Product Information and Transparency: Sellers must provide complete information about product safety and origin. Advertisements must include manufacturer or importer information, contact address and all details about product safety. Sellers who provide incomplete or misleading information will be penalized.
• Advertisement Controls: When non-compliant products are detected, the advertisement will be removed within 24 hours. Therefore, sellers must constantly check the compliance of their products with the legislation and keep their advertisements up to date.
• Representative Requirement for Overseas Sellers: Companies selling to Türkiye from abroad are required to have a local representative in Türkiye. Companies that do not fulfill this condition will not be able to operate in the Turkish market.
• Sanctions and Blocking: Sellers who do not comply with the provisions of the regulation will be fined under the Product Safety and Technical Regulations Law and their advertisements will be blocked.
• Stricter Control: Product safety and advertisement content will be constantly monitored. Platform memberships of sellers who fail the inspections may be terminated.

With this regulation, consumers will be able to access more detailed information about the products they will purchase. They will be able to examine the conformity certificates of the products and easily access the manufacturer and importer information. In addition, consumer rights will be protected more effectively by quickly removing non-compliant products and accelerating the complaint processes. Thanks to the requirement of a local representative in purchases made from abroad, consumers will be able to find someone to talk to when a problem occurs.

Timeline of Changes in E-Commerce Legislation

•  November 5, 2014: Law No. 6563 on the Regulation of Electronic Commerce was published and entered into force on May 1, 2015
•  June 6, 2017: The Communiqué on Trust Mark in Electronic Commerce was published. Thus, the trust mark application was initiated.
•  August 11, 2017: Communiqué on Electronic Commerce Information System and Notification Obligationspublished, ETBIS registration obligation has been introduced.
•  July 7, 2022: Significant changes have been made to the Law on the Regulation of Electronic Commerce with Law No. 7416. For example, platforms with an annual net transaction volume exceeding 10 billion TL have been subject to licensing and certain data usage restrictions. Advertising and promotion expenses have been restricted for platforms exceeding 30 billion TL, while those exceeding 60 billion TL have been restricted in certain financial and logistics activities. In addition, all platforms have been made obliged to remove content against intellectual property violations.
•  December 29, 2022: Regulation on Electronic Commerce Intermediary Service Providers and Electronic Commerce Service Providers has been published.
•  October 30, 2024: The Regulation on Market Surveillance and Control of Products Placed on the Market via Remote Communication Tools was published in the Official Gazette. This new regulation aims to ensure that consumers shop more securely and consciously when shopping online.

Challenges and Solutions to the Implementation of the New E-Commerce Regulation

During the process of complying with the new regulation, the obligations to prepare documents and information can be challenging, especially for small-scale sellers. It is also likely that there will be an intensity in the audit processes in the first months. In order to solve these problems, comprehensive technical support should be provided to sellers and regular information campaigns should be organized.

The positive aspect of this regulation is that it will increase consumer confidence and increase interest in e-commerce platforms. Sellers who provide reliable and accurate information will gain a significant competitive advantage in the market. In addition, tightening of controls will ensure that e-commerce marketplaces have a more secure and transparent structure.

In the near future, it is expected that artificial intelligence-supported control systems will become widespread and advertisement analyses will become automated. With the growth in e-commerce volume, it is anticipated that the legislation will be updated more frequently and new regulations will be implemented. All these developments will contribute to the creation of a safer trading environment for both sellers and consumers.

To summarize;

•   The new e-commerce regulation brings important innovations such as artificial intelligence-supported audit systems and local representative obligations.
•   Sellers must provide complete product information and make corrections within 24 hours, or face sanctions.
•   Consumers will be able to access more detailed product information and complaint processes will be accelerated.

  Professional Support for E-Commerce Entrepreneurs: Safe Start with Ifasturk

With the new e-commerce regulation, it is more important than ever to manage your company establishment process professionally. As Ifasturk, we are here for you with our company establishment services specific to e-commerce entrepreneurs.

The services we offer for you:

• ✔️ Management of company establishment procedures from A to Z in accordance with the new regulation
• ✔️ Preparation of all necessary legal documents and permits for e-commerce
• ✔️ ETBIS registration and making necessary notifications
• ✔️ Management of representative processes for overseas sales

With our experienced team and expertise, we help you establish your e-commerce company in full compliance with the requirements of the new era. Choose Ifasturk for a safe and legal start.

Contact us for detailed information and consultancy!

Mesut SENEL | Ifasturk CEO

Certified Public Accountant