Trade Minister Ömer Bolat issued a warning to foreign e-commerce platforms that do not maintain representative offices in Turkey. The Minister announced that the BTK (Information and Communication Technologies Authority) may block access to these companies’ unsafe products.
Temu and Aliexpress May Be Blocked
Foreign e-commerce platforms operating in Turkey were previously required to open representative offices. Minister Bolat stated that platforms like Temu and Aliexpress have not fulfilled this requirement.
Minister Bolat emphasized that these platforms, which do not establish representative offices, are harming domestic producers and consumers and are also selling unsafe products. Complaints regarding unsafe and unregulated products will be reviewed by the regulatory authority. If a non-compliant product is detected and a request is made to remove it, the platforms must comply with this request within 24 hours.
If products are found to have been marketed in violation of the legislation, the relevant products will be requested to be removed from sale. If this request is not complied with, the BTK will block access to the product’s URL.
Minister Bolat stated that this measure was implemented to protect the domestic market and ensure consumer safety. Websites like Temu and Aliexpress have not yet opened representative offices in Turkey. This could pave the way for new sanctions.
These decisions are expected to directly impact Turkish consumers’ purchases on these platforms. Access to products will become more difficult, especially for users seeking affordable products. Furthermore, these sanctions could prompt these platforms to establish representative offices in Turkey. This paves the way for stricter oversight of the country’s digital economy and commerce.
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