Consumer Lawyer in Turkey

This page is for consumers in a dispute with a seller, manufacturer, bank, tour operator, clinic or property developer in Turkey. As a consumer lawyer in Turkey, we assess your claim, send the formal notice, file with the consumer arbitration committee or run the mediation and consumer court case, and follow up until the decision is carried out.

The same protection covers Turkish citizens, expats living in Turkey and foreigners who bought something during a visit. The governing statute is the Law No. 6502 on Consumer Protection (TKHK). It treats anyone acting for purposes outside a trade or profession as a consumer. If you bought the goods or service for yourself or your family, the law as a rule protects you, wherever your passport is from. Our article on understanding consumer rights in Turkey gives the wider background.

When do you need a consumer lawyer in Turkey?

Many complaints end with one well-written letter. Others turn on deadlines and evidence that are easily lost early on. The files we see in practice usually fall into these groups:

• Defective goods or cars: a phone, appliance, piece of furniture or new car that fails soon after delivery, and a seller who drags out repairs or refuses a replacement.
• Online shopping: a refund that never arrives, goods that were never shipped, a refused withdrawal, or a marketplace seller who cannot be reached.
• Property bought from a developer: late delivery of an off-plan flat, a flat that differs from the plans, a smaller floor area, or damp, cracks and plumbing faults found after handover.
• Package tours and hotels: a different hotel from the one booked, a cancelled tour, or an advance payment that is not returned.
• Medical tourism: hair transplant, dental or cosmetic treatment packages where the service did not match the contract, or payment disputes with the clinic.
• Banks and credit cards: annual card fees, loan file charges, insurance premiums and other deductions you did not agree to.
• Subscriptions and doorstep sales: a gym or internet contract you cannot end, or a contract signed at a hotel presentation or at your door.

What rights do consumers have under Turkish law?

Consumer rights in Turkey depend on the type of transaction. These come up most often.

Defective goods and services

Under Article 11 TKHK, a consumer who receives defective goods may choose one of four remedies: withdraw from the contract, ask for a price reduction in proportion to the defect, have the goods repaired free of charge, or have them replaced with a defect-free item. The choice belongs to the consumer, not the seller. The liability period for defects is as a rule two years from delivery, and as a rule five years for residential and holiday property. Where the defect was hidden through gross fault or fraud, those periods do not protect the seller. Our article on consumer goods warranty processes in Turkey walks through the warranty side.

It also matters who you claim against. The free repair right can as a rule be used against the manufacturer or importer as well as the seller, and they are jointly liable for it. For cars, a new car from a dealer, or a used car from a car dealer, is as a rule a consumer transaction. A private sale between two individuals is not, because the seller is not acting professionally, so general contract law applies instead.

Online and off-premises sales

For distance contracts (internet, phone or catalogue sales) the consumer can as a rule withdraw within 14 days without giving a reason and without paying a penalty. The same right exists for off-premises contracts, such as doorstep sales or contracts signed at a promotional event. The regulation lists exceptions, including goods made to your specifications, perishable goods and some digital content. For marketplace and fake-shop problems, see our article on e-commerce law and consumer rights.

Package tours, subscriptions, banks and cards

In a package tour, the organiser is responsible for delivering the services promised in the contract, and your rights on cancellation or changes are set out in a regulation. Fixed-term subscriptions can as a rule be ended by the consumer without giving a reason; if you received a discount for a commitment, part of that discount may have to be repaid. Bank and card charges are checked one by one against the contract and the applicable rules. Tourists can read our article on tourism law and consumer rights in Turkey; for disputed card payments, see the bank chargebacks guide.

Off-plan residential property

When you pay all or part of the price before a home is delivered, the TKHK treats it as a prepaid housing sale (ön ödemeli konut satışı) with its own rules. The contract has to be made in the form the law requires, you must receive pre-contract information before signing, and the delivery date has to be stated clearly. The consumer has a right of withdrawal within a set period and, in certain conditions, a right to terminate. Foreign buyers should also read our article on off-plan property risks in Turkey.

Consumer arbitration committee or consumer court?

The value of your claim decides where you go. The Ministry of Trade announces a monetary threshold every year: below it, an application to the consumer arbitration committee (tüketici hakem heyeti) is mandatory and you cannot go straight to court. Above it, the claim belongs to the consumer court. Because the figure changes every year, the threshold in force on the application date has to be checked in the Ministry's announcement.

Above the threshold, Article 73/A TKHK makes mediation a pre-condition to a consumer court case, subject to some exceptions. If the parties settle, the signed agreement can as a rule be enforced like a judgment. Our article on mediation in consumer law explains that stage.

The legal route, step by step

1. Gather the records: invoice, order screen, messages, photos and service forms go into one file.
2. Notify the seller in writing: your chosen remedy or withdrawal is sent in a way that proves the date (a notarial notice, registered e-mail (KEP) or a traceable e-mail).
3. Pick the right forum: the value of the claim is compared with the annual threshold.
4. Apply to the arbitration committee: below the threshold, the application goes to the provincial or district committee through the Ministry of Trade's Consumer Information System (TÜBİS) on e-Devlet. Our guide on filing a consumer complaint in Turkey covers the details.
5. Apply for mediation: above the threshold, the mediation office at the courthouse is the first stop.
6. File the case: if mediation fails, the case is filed at the consumer court with the final mediation report. Where there is no consumer court, the civil court of first instance hears the case in that capacity.
7. Enforce the decision: if the seller does not comply with the committee's decision or the judgment, it is enforced through the enforcement office (icra dairesi).

Documents you will need

The strongest evidence in a consumer file is written proof of the purchase and of the date you complained.

• Invoice, receipt, order confirmation or the contract itself
• Proof of payment: bank transfer record or card statement
• Messages with the seller or service centre, and service forms
• Photos, video or a technical report showing the defect
• For property: the sale contract, the pre-contract information form and land registry records
• For clients abroad: a notarised and apostilled power of attorney with a sworn Turkish translation

How long does a consumer dispute take?

Timing depends on the forum and on any expert examination. A seller often answers a formal notice within a few weeks. Arbitration committee decisions are usually issued within a few months in practice, longer if an expert is appointed. Mediation is often finished within a few weeks. A consumer court case, with an expert report and a possible appeal, frequently runs past a year. These are estimates; every file differs.

What a consumer lawyer in Turkey does for you

Karanfiloglu Law Firm handles consumer disputes across Turkey from its office in Şişli, Istanbul. The work includes:

• Assessment: we check whether you count as a consumer, which deadlines apply, whether the evidence is enough and which forum is correct.
• Formal notice: we send the remedy or withdrawal notice in the form the law requires.
• Filing and representation: we prepare the committee application, conduct the mediation and run the consumer court case.
• Expert examinations: we draft the questions for the expert and object to a flawed report.
• Follow-up: after the decision we track payment or replacement and start enforcement if needed.
• Remote handling: a tourist who has left Turkey, or a buyer living abroad, can run the whole process through a power of attorney.

Av. Kaan Karanfiloğlu works directly in English, French and Turkish; Russian- and Chinese-speaking clients are served through native-speaking advisors at the office. For harm caused by medical treatment, see our malpractice lawyer page, and for wider contract disputes, our contracts and law of obligations service.

We also act for sellers. We review distance sales contracts, pre-contract information forms and return procedures for TKHK compliance, and advise businesses facing complaints. In every file, the result depends on the evidence and on how the other side responds.

Common mistakes in consumer disputes

• Complaining only by phone: a call-centre complaint does not prove when you made your claim. Put it in writing, by a traceable route.
• Using or repairing the defective item: work done at an unauthorised repair shop can make the cause of the defect disputed. Document the problem first.
• Waiting: the withdrawal and defect periods are short, and a seller's delaying tactics do not stop them.
• Going to the wrong forum: a court case filed for a claim below the threshold can be dismissed on procedure, and so can one filed above it without mediation.
• Signing a property contract without reading it: in off-plan sales, the delivery date, penalty clause and plan-change clauses are the ones argued over later.

In our practice, the most common problem is a consumer with a valid claim who never put it to the seller in writing. Choosing the right forum and the right remedy often shapes the whole file. Whether a route fits your case depends on the claim value, the deadlines and your documents; a consumer lawyer in Turkey can assess that with you in a short consultation. You can reach us through our contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a consumer lawyer in Turkey to file a complaint?

No, a lawyer is not mandatory for an arbitration committee application or a consumer court case. In high-value files, in cases needing an expert, and in property disputes, a lawyer helps you avoid missed deadlines and procedural errors.

What is the consumer arbitration committee threshold this year?

The threshold is reset every year by the Ministry of Trade and announced around the start of the year. Check the current figure in the Ministry's announcement on the date you apply.

Can I challenge an arbitration committee decision?

Yes, either party can take the decision to the consumer court. The time limit is as a rule 15 days from service of the decision, and the challenge does not by itself stop enforcement.

I am a tourist and have already left Turkey. Can I still claim?

Yes, if you made the purchase in Turkey you are as a rule protected by the TKHK. A lawyer holding your power of attorney can file without you needing e-Devlet access.

What if the seller refuses to replace defective goods?

Repeat your demand in writing, then apply to the arbitration committee or to mediation depending on the claim value. The law gives the choice of remedy to the consumer; the seller can push you towards another remedy only in the limited cases the law allows.

My off-plan flat was delivered late. Is this a consumer court matter?

If you bought the flat for yourself or your family, the dispute is as a rule a consumer dispute, so mediation and then the consumer court apply where the value is above the threshold. If you bought purely as an investment, your consumer status may be disputed.

How long does a consumer case take in Turkey?

A consumer court case, with an expert report and an appeal, often takes more than a year. Arbitration committee applications usually conclude sooner.