Provides information on any manufacturing sectors or services where only citizens or a sub-set of the population in that country are allowed to own or sell.
Last Published: 6/20/2019

Turkey generally follows EU directives in terms of standards that document a product’s quality and safety.  For example, for products where a CE Mark (European Conformity) is required by EU regulations, Turkey also requires it.  Therefore, if a CE Mark is required for a specific product for the Turkish market and the U.S. manufacturer does not have this required certification, it cannot be marketed in Turkey.

The Ministry of Trade has the right to specify products that may not be imported into Turkey.  Currently, due to environmental concerns, certain products regulated by “Regulation for Product Safety and Inspection 2019/3”, certain chemicals regulated by “Regulation for Product Safety and Inspection 2019/6” and metal scrap regulated by “Regulation for Product Safety and Inspection 2019/23” may not be imported into Turkey. In cases where these commodities can be imported, the importer can only be an industrial entity intending to use these materials in its own manufacturing process.  The importing entity needs to get a license from the Ministry of Trade.  For products other than those that fall into the groups listed above, there are no sales limitations.

As for professional services, lawyers, notaries and customs brokers that do not hold Turkish citizenship, cannot practice in Turkey.  While the same rule applies to dentists, pharmacists and midwives, foreign doctors and nurses can practice in Turkey if they speak Turkish at the required level, have no limitations to practicing their professions in their home country and have their university and professional degrees approved by the Ministry of Health.

Used or refurbished equipment is regulated by a decree renewed annually.  While some products falling under the HS Codes noted in this regulation can only be imported to Turkey with licenses issued by the relevant government agencies, some can be imported with no prior license.

Generally, the importation of used or refurbished equipment is limited to items that will be used by industry to manufacture its own finished products and also to sea and air vehicles.  There are differing age limitations for each allowed product category.

Prepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.