In short: On July 1, 2026, the Turkish Ministry of Trade published an extensive amendment to the Regulation on Commercial Advertising and Unfair Commercial Practices in the Official Gazette (No. 33297). The amendments enter into force on August 1, 2026 and introduce strict new compliance requirements for foreign and domestic companies operating in Türkiye.
Why it matters: The regulatory changes directly impact e-commerce pricing strategies, environmental claims (greenwashing), targeted advertising, consumer reviews, influencer marketing, and the commercial use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Companies conducting B2C sales or directing marketing activities toward Turkish consumers must update their compliance protocols before the effective date. Failure to comply will expose companies to immediate advertisement suspension orders and significant administrative fines imposed by the Turkish Advertising Board.
Amendment at a Glance
| Instrument | Regulation Amending the Regulation on Commercial Advertising and Unfair Commercial Practices |
| Published | Official Gazette No. 33297, July 1, 2026 |
| Effective Date | August 1, 2026 |
| Issuing Authority | Ministry of Trade (Ticaret Bakanlığı) |
| Enforcement Body | Advertising Board (Reklam Kurulu) |
| Target Audience | Foreign Investors, E-Commerce Platforms, Multinational Corporations, In-House Counsel |
| Key Areas | Pricing, Greenwashing, AI Disclosure, Influencer Marketing, Targeted Advertising, Consumer Reviews |
New Statutory Definitions (Article 4)
The regulation begins by inserting four new definitions into Article 4 of the existing framework, establishing the legal vocabulary for the sections that follow:
- Environmental Claim (Çevresel Beyan): Any statement or visual implying that a good or service, including its components, production, market placement, presentation, use, or disposal, provides an environmental benefit, or that its negative environmental impact has been reduced or eliminated.
- Social Media (Sosyal Medya): An environment enabling users to create, view, or share content such as text, images, audio, and location data on the internet for the purpose of social interaction.
- Social Media Influencer (Sosyal Medya Etkileyicisi): A natural or legal person who shares content on social media, directly or indirectly, promoting a good or service on behalf of themselves or an advertiser, and who converts this communication into any form of benefit.
- Consumer Reviews (Tüketici Değerlendirmeleri): All expressions, approvals, and ratings, including comments, scores, and star-based grading systems, made by consumers online regarding the quality, promotion, sale, delivery, ancillary contracts (such as credit and insurance), or use of a good or service, including its production processes.
Awards, Academic Titles and Food Supplement Advertising (Articles 7, 8 & 27)
Awards and Academic Titles in Advertising
The amendment adds "academic titles" to the list of credentials that must comply with substantiation rules under Article 7(5)(g). Companies can no longer reference academic titles in advertisements without proper verification. Furthermore, under the new Article 27(13), advertisements may not reference awards that are not based on previously announced objective criteria. Awards obtained merely in exchange for a financial benefit, without objective merit, are now classified as unfair commercial practices.
Food and Food Supplement Advertising
Article 8(3) has been amended to extend existing food advertising restrictions to food supplements (takviye edici gıdalar). The final sentence of the previous provision has been repealed. Additionally, the new Article 27(10) explicitly prohibits advertising food supplements in a manner that creates the impression they can replace normal daily nutrition. Article 27(11) reinforces the absolute ban on advertising human medicinal products, electronic cigarettes, tobacco products, and alcoholic beverages. The amendment also adds illegal games of chance (yasadışı şans oyunu) to the list of prohibited advertising categories alongside the existing ban on illegal betting.
The New E-Commerce Pricing and Discount Architecture (Article 14)
Pricing strategies for cross-border e-commerce platforms and local retail operations are now subject to rigorous mathematical and procedural constraints. The amended Article 14 restructures how reference pricing must be calculated. Paragraph 3 has been rewritten and three new paragraphs (5, 6, and 7) have been added, four provisions in total:
Reference Pricing Rules (Article 14)
- Product discounts (Paragraph 3): The reference price (pre-discount price) must be the lowest price applied within the 10 days before the discount start date.
- Perishable goods & services: The reference price must be the price applied immediately before the discount.
- Multi-channel sales (Paragraph 5): The reference price must be derived exclusively from the price history of the specific channel where the discount is offered. For example, a company cannot use a high price from its physical retail store as the reference price to advertise a discount on its mobile application.
- Loyalty programs (Paragraph 6): Programs designed to strengthen consumer relationships or incentivize purchases are fully subject to Article 14 rules if they are easily accessible or usable by consumers.
- Conditional sales (Paragraph 7): Promotions conditioning a discount on purchasing a specific quantity or completing a specific transaction are fully subject to Article 14 rules, except for provisions governing the display of product quantities.
Strict Substantiation for Environmental Claims (Article 17)
Türkiye is actively cracking down on corporate greenwashing. The amendment introduces the formal legal definition of "Environmental Claim" (Çevresel Beyan) and restructures Article 17 with three new substantive paragraphs. Additionally, Article 17(2) has been amended to add the word "misleading" (yanıltıcı) alongside the existing prohibition on "deceptive" claims, broadening the scope of enforcement.
Mandatory Independent Certification (Paragraph 3)
Any advertisement containing an environmental claim must be substantiated by certificates and approvals from authorized government institutions, relevant university departments, or accredited, independent testing, research, and evaluation organizations. Internal corporate sustainability reports are no longer sufficient to justify public environmental claims in Türkiye.
Prohibition of Vague Terminology (Paragraph 5)
General environmental concepts and statements cannot be used in advertisements without accompanying explanations, or in a manner that causes uncertainty among consumers regarding the actual environmental impact of the product, service, or its production processes. Phrases such as "eco-friendly," "green," or "nature-safe" require specific, substantiated explanations.
Granular Disclosure Requirements (Paragraph 6)
Advertisers must clearly specify exactly which part, component, or lifecycle stage of the product the environmental claim applies to. Explanatory information regarding environmental impact measurement and evaluation methods must be provided directly in the advertisement, through a clear hyperlink or warning indicator leading to a detailed informational website, or via a pop-up screen.
Artificial Intelligence and Deepfakes in Marketing (Articles 18 & 27)
The Turkish Ministry of Trade has introduced specific transparency requirements for AI-generated marketing content through two separate provisions:
AI Disclosure and Deepfake Rules
- AI Disclosure (Article 18/8): Whenever an advertisement uses artificial intelligence or other software to significantly influence consumer economic behavior, or features AI-generated digital characters indistinguishable from humans, this fact must be stated in a manner that is clear, understandable, and distinguishable.
- Deepfake Ban (Article 27/12): It is absolutely forbidden to use AI technology to create a digital copy of a real person and falsely portray them as having personally experienced, used, or recommended a good or service. This rule targets the unauthorized or deceptive use of deepfakes and AI-generated celebrity endorsements.
Influencer Marketing Compliance (Article 23/A)
An entirely new Article 23/A has been inserted into the regulation, establishing a codified, highly specific set of disclosure rules for social media influencers and the brands that engage them. Under Turkish law, the advertiser holds joint liability with the influencer for regulatory compliance.
When Disclosure is Mandatory (Paragraph 2)
An influencer must explicitly disclose the commercial nature of content whenever:
- (a) The content directs consumers to the advertiser or the advertiser's products or services;
- (b) The influencer receives financial gain, free products, or discounted goods or services from the advertiser;
- (c) The content relates to giveaways, competitions, or campaigns organized by the advertiser for promotional purposes;
- (ç) The influencer shares content after receiving a benefit for attending an event organized by the advertiser.
Required Terminology (Paragraph 3)
Influencers must use either the Turkish word "Reklam" (Advertisement) or "Tanıtım" (Promotion). In addition, the content must clearly identify the advertiser by including the advertiser's name or trade title, or by using one of the following template phrases:
- "@[Advertiser] tarafından sağlandı." (Provided by @[Advertiser].)
- "Ürünleri bana gönderdiği için @[Advertiser] teşekkürler." (Thanks to @[Advertiser] for sending the products.)
- "@[Advertiser] teşekkürler." (Thanks to @[Advertiser].)
In other words, the regulation presents the advertiser's name/trade title and the template phrases as alternatives; either method of identification satisfies the requirement.
Visual and Technical Standards (Paragraph 4)
The placement and presentation of disclosures are strictly regulated across six sub-clauses:
- (a) Disclosures must be distinguishable from background colors used in the post and in an easily readable font size.
- (b) Disclosures must be visible immediately when the consumer first encounters the content, without needing to scroll down or navigate to another area.
- (c) If other tags or descriptions are used in the post, the advertising disclosure must appear before them and be clearly separable.
- (ç) Disclosures must not overlap with platform interface elements such as usernames, share buttons, or other UI components, considering the specific technical features of each platform.
- (d) If the content spans multiple sequential posts (such as a multi-part story sequence), the disclosure must be present on every single post.
- (e) If advertising content appears in different posting formats, or is cross-posted or quoted from one format to another, the disclosure must be included in each format.
Audio-Only Content (Paragraph 5)
For audio-only platforms (such as podcasts or audio social networks), the influencer must verbally state "[Advertiser] hakkında reklam/tanıtım içerir" (Contains advertising/promotion regarding [Advertiser]) at the beginning of the broadcast and immediately before the advertisement segment.
Targeted Advertising, Data Privacy and Other Amendments
Dividend and Profit-Sharing Wording Correction (Article 25)
Article 25 has been amended to change the conjunction "ve kar payı" (and profit share) to "veya kar payı" (or profit share) in its first and second paragraphs. While a minor textual change, this broadens the scope of the provision by applying it to either scenario independently rather than requiring both conditions simultaneously.
Targeted Advertising and Data Privacy (Article 25/A)
An entirely new Article 25/A has been inserted, formally defining and regulating targeted advertising. This provision intersects heavily with the Turkish Personal Data Protection Law (KVKK).
Targeted Advertising Rules (Article 25/A)
- Definition (Paragraph 1): Targeted advertising is formally defined as analyzing consumers' online behavior, past preference records, location data, demographic data, or similar personal data to present tailored advertising content to specific individuals or groups.
- Transparency (Paragraph 2): It may only be conducted if consumers are provided with direct and easily accessible information regarding the criteria used to show them a specific advertisement and how they can change these criteria.
- Protection of Minors (Paragraph 3): Targeted advertising using personal data-based profiling methods is strictly prohibited where the company knows, or can reasonably be expected to know, that the consumer is a child.
Repeal of Article 26
Article 26 of the original regulation has been repealed in its entirety by Article 10 of the amendment.
Overhaul of Consumer Review Management (Articles 28/B & 28/C)
The management of consumer reviews on e-commerce platforms has been comprehensively overhauled. Article 28/B has been entirely rewritten with eight new paragraphs, and Article 28/C has been amended to reduce response times.
| Provision | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Verified Purchaser (§1) | Only verified purchasers may leave reviews. Reviews from platforms where purchase cannot be verified are expressly prohibited. |
| Transparency (§2) | Publication rules must be displayed. Platforms cannot restrict review topics or block consumers from reviewing ancillary contracts. |
| Categorized Display (§3) | All review categories (product, delivery, seller) must be displayed in the same area in a clear and understandable manner. |
| Objective Publication (§4) | All positive and negative reviews must be published for minimum 1 year without manipulation, based on objective criteria. |
| Health Claims (§5) | Reviews containing health claims that violate medical legislation are strictly prohibited from publication. |
| Cross-Platform (§6) | Reviews may only be used on other platforms if they reflect the original platform's general rating nature. |
| Resolved Complaints (§7) | If a grievance is resolved, this update must be published immediately in the same location as the original review. |
| Fake Reviews (§8) | Companies are explicitly prohibited from purchasing or entering agreements for false reviews to artificially boost sales. |
| 48-Hour Response SLA (Article 28/C) | Sellers now have a fixed 48-hour window (reduced from 72 hours) to respond to a complaint. If no response is provided, the platform must publish the review directly. |
Repeal of Annex Item 13
Item 13 of the Annex titled "Exemplary Practices Deemed Unfair Commercial Practices" under the "A - Deceptive Commercial Practices" section has been repealed.
Enforcement Mechanisms and Regulatory Risks
The primary enforcement body is the Advertising Board (Reklam Kurulu), operating under the Ministry of Trade. The Board can issue immediate cessation orders requiring companies to pull advertisements nationwide and impose significant administrative fines. These fines are updated annually based on revaluation rates and differ depending on the medium. For foreign companies, ignoring Board decisions can lead to access blocking orders for their websites or localized applications within Turkish territory.
Strategic Action Plan for Foreign Entities
Foreign corporations doing business in Türkiye must take immediate, structured steps to align their operations with the August 1, 2026 deadline:
- Audit Pricing Algorithms: Adjust backend systems to track the lowest price over a rolling ten-day period specifically per sales channel. Ensure algorithms prevent cross-channel reference pricing.
- Review Influencer Contracts: Draft addendums to all contracts with Turkish influencers, mandating the exact disclosure language required by Article 23/A. Include indemnification clauses for non-compliance.
- Establish Review Moderation Protocols: Implement technical verification systems ensuring only actual buyers can leave reviews. Train moderation teams to filter out health claims while ensuring no legitimate negative reviews are suppressed. Hardcode the 48-hour SLA for vendor responses into platform dashboards.
- Substantiate Environmental Marketing: Audit all campaigns containing environmental claims. Any claim lacking accreditation from an independent or academic institution must be removed or modified before the deadline.
- Update Privacy Policies and Ad-Tech: Review ad-tech integrations to ensure targeted advertising mechanisms provide transparency to Turkish users and effectively block the profiling of minors.
- Audit AI-Generated Content: Review all marketing materials featuring AI-generated imagery or digital characters. Implement disclosure mechanisms for AI-influenced advertisements and ensure no deepfake content is used without authorization.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: Our company is based outside of Türkiye, but we ship products to Turkish consumers through our global website. Do these new pricing rules apply to us?
Yes. Under Turkish commercial and consumer protection laws, if you are actively targeting the Turkish market (for example, offering Turkish language options, pricing in Turkish Lira, or running localized marketing campaigns), you are subject to the regulations enforced by the Ministry of Trade. Your discount campaigns must comply with the ten-day lookback rule for reference pricing.
Q2: We sell products both on our mobile app and on our website. Can we use the website's regular price as the reference price for an "App-Only" discount?
No. The amended Article 14 explicitly prohibits cross-channel reference pricing. If you are advertising a discount exclusively on your mobile application, the reference price must be the lowest price applied on that specific mobile application within the preceding ten days.
Q3: What documentation is required to prove an environmental claim under the new rules?
Internal company data is no longer sufficient. You must possess documentation, certificates, or approvals from authorized government institutions, relevant university departments, or accredited independent testing and evaluation organizations. Failure to produce these independent documents will result in fines and the suspension of the advertisement.
Q4: We use terms like "eco-conscious" and "earth-friendly" in our global marketing. Can we translate these directly for the Turkish market?
This poses a high legal risk. The regulation prohibits the use of general environmental concepts without specific explanations. If you use such terms, you must explicitly state which part of the product lifecycle the claim refers to and provide consumers with access to the measurement methods used to justify the claim.
Q5: Our marketing agency uses AI to generate lifestyle images of people using our products. Is this allowed?
Using AI to generate standard marketing imagery requires careful handling. If the AI usage significantly affects the consumer's economic behavior, it must be disclosed. More importantly, it is strictly prohibited to create a digital copy of a real person and falsely portray them as having experienced or recommended the product.
Q6: What specific words must influencers use when promoting our brand in Türkiye?
The influencer must use either the word "Reklam" (Advertisement) or "Tanıtım" (Promotion). Alongside these words, they must clearly identify your brand by including the brand's name or trade title, or by using one of the statutory template phrases, such as "@[Brand Name] tarafından sağlandı" (Provided by @[Brand Name]) or "Ürünleri bana gönderdiği için @[Brand Name] teşekkürler" (Thanks to @[Brand Name] for sending the products). The regulation treats these as alternatives - simply mentioning the brand's name is sufficient without using the full template phrases.
Q7: Can influencers put the required disclosure tags in the comments section or at the very bottom of a long caption?
No. The law explicitly requires that the disclosure be visible immediately when the consumer encounters the post, without the need to scroll or click to expand the text. It must be easily readable and visually distinct from the background.
Q8: If an influencer we hired fails to use the correct tags, who is liable?
Under Turkish advertising regulations, liability is joint. The Advertising Board can, and frequently does, fine both the influencer (the publisher) and the brand (the advertiser). Foreign brands must enforce strict compliance through robust vendor contracts and actively monitor their influencer campaigns in Türkiye.
Q9: We operate a global e-commerce marketplace. Can we import product reviews from our US website to our localized Turkish website?
This is highly restricted under the new Article 28/B. You can only publish reviews if you can verify that the user actually purchased the product. If the reviews from the US site cannot be tied to a verified purchase process that complies with these standards, they cannot be published on the Turkish platform.
Q10: Can we filter out one-star reviews if we believe the consumer is being unreasonable?
No. The regulation requires that all consumer reviews, positive or negative, must be published for at least one year without manipulation, provided they do not violate other laws. Suppressing negative reviews is classified as an unfair commercial practice.
Q11: A consumer left a review complaining about shipping delays. Do we have to publish it immediately?
When a review involves a complaint or a negative experience, the platform must hold the review and notify the seller. The seller now has a maximum of 48 hours to resolve the issue or respond. If 48 hours pass without a response, the platform is legally obligated to publish the review.
Q12: If we resolve a customer's complaint after they leave a negative review, can we delete the original review?
No. However, the regulation states that if the consumer or the seller reports that the grievance has been resolved, this update must be published immediately in the same location as the original review, following a verification process.
Q13: We sell dietary supplements. Can we advertise them as a replacement for daily meals?
No. Under Article 27(10), it is prohibited to advertise food supplements in a manner that creates the impression they can replace foods consumed as part of normal nutrition. While the regulation does not specifically reference weight loss, any advertising that positions a supplement as a meal replacement - including in the context of diet or weight management - would fall within the scope of this prohibition. Additionally, health claims in both advertisements and consumer reviews are heavily regulated, and e-commerce platforms must actively moderate user reviews that contain health claims violating the relevant legislation.
Q14: How does the new targeted advertising rule affect our data collection?
Under Article 25/A, if you use consumer data to show targeted ads, you must inform the consumer about the criteria used and provide a method for them to change these criteria. Crucially, you are strictly prohibited from using data profiling to target ads at children.
Q15: When must our Turkish operations be fully compliant with these changes?
The amendments officially enter into force on August 1, 2026. All digital platforms, pricing algorithms, marketing campaigns, and review moderation systems must be fully updated and compliant by this date to avoid regulatory intervention.
