{"id":15775,"date":"2026-02-27T13:25:05","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T13:25:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tukid.org\/?p=15775"},"modified":"2026-02-27T13:41:03","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T13:41:03","slug":"onceligimiz-tuketicinin-saglik-ve-guvenliginin-korunmasi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tukid.org\/en\/onceligimiz-tuketicinin-saglik-ve-guvenliginin-korunmasi\/","title":{"rendered":"Our Priority Is Protecting Consumer Health and Safety"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u201cSignificant progress has been made regarding the product groups under the responsibility of the Ministry of Trade\u2019s General Directorate of Consumer Protection and Market Surveillance in terms of market surveillance and inspection. During this period, the positive dialogue maintained with T\u00dcK\u0130D regarding ensuring the safety of stationery products and the preparation and implementation of regulations has greatly contributed to the Ministry\u2019s activities. We spoke with Avni Dilber, Director General of Consumer Protection and Market Surveillance at the Ministry of Trade, to discuss the latest information regarding the approaching school season and the progress of these efforts. Dilber, who stated that they have adopted a \u201czero-tolerance policy toward unsafe products\u201d in inspections, said, \u201cWe have all seen once again during the pandemic how health is our top priority and how important it is. This places an additional responsibility on our Ministry and transforms the issue from a mere inspection task into a social responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Could you provide a brief overview of the scope and activities of the General Directorate of Consumer Protection and Market Surveillance?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

As the General Directorate of Consumer Protection and Market Surveillance, we fulfill our duty to protect not only consumers\u2019 economic interests but also their health and safety. This mission, which is constantly evolving and renewing itself worldwide, is of great importance as it concerns the entire society. With a broad scope of work ranging from advertising to arbitration committees, product safety to after-sales services, and consumer education, our General Directorate carries out these duties that directly impact consumers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What criteria does the concept of \u201cproduct safety\u201d\u2014which plays a significant role in our lives\u2014encompass? What should come to mind when we hear this term?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The concept of product safety is directly related to human health and is of utmost importance not only for consumer protection but also for its contributions to our country\u2019s exports and its role in preventing unfair competition. Each product group has its own specific technical regulations, safety standards, and minimum safety requirements within the context of product safety. One of the key responsibilities of our Ministry is to ensure that the products under our jurisdiction, when used under appropriate and normal conditions, pose no risk or only the minimum risk inherent to their use, and provide the necessary level of protection for human health. Currently, our Ministry is responsible for the market surveillance and control of numerous consumer products frequently used in daily life, such as textiles, footwear, furniture, stationery, child care products, toys, toothbrushes, and detergents. As a result of the inspections we conduct within the scope of our activities, we recall products found to be non-compliant with regulations, issue public notices, and impose administrative fines. Additionally, we publish information regarding unsafe products in the Unsafe Product Information System (G\u00dcB\u0130S). Consumers can access this system at www.guvensizurun.gov.tr. Furthermore, in addition to our inspection activities, we continue to carry out initiatives aimed at both raising consumer awareness and informing manufacturers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The issue of product safety has become even more important in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Have any new criteria been added to inspections since the pandemic began?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Yes, we have all seen once again during the pandemic that health is our top priority and how important it is. The products for which our Ministry is responsible in terms of market surveillance and control are items frequently used by consumers of all ages in our daily lives. This places a special responsibility on our Ministry and transforms the matter into a social responsibility rather than merely an inspection task. In our activities, we monitor legislative developments within the framework of EU harmonization legislation, as well as the guidelines, inspections, and practices published in this context. From this perspective, in light of developments in product safety practices, we are conducting the necessary legislative work and determining the focus of our inspections accordingly. Naturally, during the COVID-19 pandemic, certain product groups and associated risks came to the forefront; we continued our market surveillance and inspection activities accordingly, conducting inspections and providing guidance by evaluating all relevant data\u2014from consumer complaints to practices in other countries, as well as sector and consumer trends. I would also like to note that, within the framework of our Ministry\u2019s market surveillance policy of \u201cZero Tolerance for Unsafe Products,\u201d we have established as a general priority the elimination of potential risks associated with products used by what we refer to as \u201cvulnerable consumers\u201d\u2014specifically infants, children, and students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How has momentum been gained in the audits that T\u00dcK\u0130D has supported for many years?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Our Ministry began assuming its responsibilities for market surveillance and control in 2011, and over time, new product groups were added to our purview. We have made truly significant strides since day one. Awareness has grown during this process that consumer protection is not merely about safeguarding economic rights, but also about ensuring the safety of products used for health and safety purposes, and I believe this awareness will continue to develop. As a Ministry, we place great importance on the input of other stakeholders, as well as consumers, in our market surveillance and inspection activities. In particular, the positive dialogue we have established with T\u00dcK\u0130D regarding ensuring the safety of stationery products, as well as the preparation and implementation of regulations, has made a significant contribution to our Ministry\u2019s market surveillance and inspection activities. I would like to emphasize that T\u00dcK\u0130D\u2019s support is highly meaningful both for its own sector and for consumers. The stationery product group is one we have taken responsibility for and worked alongside from the very beginning. In this regard, the achievements we have made through our collaboration with this sector serve as a model for other product groups as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What are your goals for this year\u2019s pre-school inspections?\n<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Prior to each academic year, we conduct inspections of stationery, school uniforms, and shoes, as well as all types of jewelry and accessories that our children may use. During these inspections, products are evaluated for both physical and chemical risks in accordance with EU-compliant regulations, and analyses are also conducted regarding label information and the potential for misleading claims. This year as well, inspections to ensure the safety of products in these categories, which are placed on the market before the start of the academic year, will continue nationwide. As is well known, ensuring the safety of all domestic or imported products to be placed on the market is the responsibility of the manufacturer or importer. In inspections conducted by our Ministry in the domestic market, we impose sanctions such as product recalls, public announcements, and administrative fines on products found to be unsafe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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You are implementing important initiatives to raise consumer awareness. Could you tell us about these initiatives?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

To ensure the establishment of an effective oversight mechanism, our Ministry aims to: has adopted the following principles: simplifying regulations to make beneficiaries active participants in effective oversight; establishing a monitoring and supervision system in collaboration with consumers, economic operators, and other stakeholders; ensuring the adoption of consumer-focused service delivery; and promoting continuous learning and progress in market surveillance and oversight. In this context, raising awareness among all stakeholders is of utmost importance to us. To contribute to raising awareness regarding both consumers\u2019 economic rights and product safety, we conduct initiatives each year\u2014such as focusing on stationery during the school term and toys in April\u2014by addressing topics like risk, product categories, or specific periods. Through EU or national projects, symposia, meetings, and other activities carried out by our General Directorate, as well as the work conducted by our Regional Directorates within their respective areas of responsibility, we are moving forward by setting various agendas and objectives in this field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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During this period as well, there was a significant increase in e-commerce volume. In terms of consumer protection, what should e-commerce companies be mindful of?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Our General Directorate also carries out various activities aimed at protecting consumers\u2019 economic interests in the field of e-commerce. Companies engaged in e-commerce must comply with the Distance Contracts Regulation. This regulation contains provisions regarding pre-contractual information, the right of withdrawal, contract performance, and delivery. In addition, our General Directorate has areas of responsibility related to e-commerce, including advertising and commercial practices, consumer arbitration boards, warranty certificates, and post-sale services. Furthermore, regarding product safety in e-commerce, it is important to highlight the new regulations introduced within the context of market surveillance and inspection activities conducted by our General Directorate. With the Product Safety and Technical Regulations Law No. 7223, prepared as part of alignment with the European Union and effective as of March 12, 2021, inspections in the e-commerce sector are taking on a new dimension alongside other innovations. In this context, companies engaged in e-commerce are also subject to traceability rules. The sale of non-compliant products offered for sale online must be halted; if e-commerce platforms or intermediary service providers fail to do so voluntarily, the competent authority is empowered to decide to block access to the content on the website where the non-compliant product is being sold and to notify the Information and Communications Technologies Authority of this decision for implementation. Additionally,The sale of non-compliant products offered for sale online must be halted; if e-commerce platforms or intermediary service providers fail to do so on their own initiative, the competent authority is empowered to decide to block access to the content on the website where the non-compliant product is being sold and to notify the Information and Communications Technologies Authority of this decision for implementation. Additionally, it has been stipulated that products purchased through e-commerce may also be used as samples in inspections. In this context, the necessary infrastructure has been established for effective inspection mechanisms regarding e-commerce transactions, which are growing in volume. Our Ministry continues to conduct inspection activities within this scope for the product groups under its responsibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Could you share with us how product safety inspections are conducted on e-commerce platforms, with the aim of raising awareness in our industry?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The new law establishes a more effective framework for activities in this area. Access restrictions, traceability requirements, and the procurement of samples via e-commerce are modern and effective measures for market surveillance and inspection activities. The General Directorate of Product Safety and Inspection within our Ministry is currently drafting secondary legislation on this matter, and the details of implementation will be clarified within this framework.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“Ticaret Bakanl\u0131\u011f\u0131 T\u00fcketicinin Korunmas\u0131 ve Piyasa G\u00f6zetimi Genel M\u00fcd\u00fcrl\u00fc\u011f\u00fc\u2019n\u00fcn piyasa g\u00f6zetimi ve denetimi bak\u0131m\u0131ndan sorumlulu\u011funda bulunan \u00fcr\u00fcn gruplar\u0131nda s\u00fcre\u00e7 i\u00e7erisinde \u00f6nemli a\u015famalar kaydedildi. Bu s\u00fcre zarf\u0131nda; k\u0131rtasiye \u00fcr\u00fcnlerinin g\u00fcvenli\u011finin sa\u011flanmas\u0131, mevzuat haz\u0131rlanmas\u0131 ve uygulanmas\u0131 noktas\u0131nda T\u00dcK\u0130D ile s\u00fcrd\u00fcr\u00fclen olumlu diyalog, Bakanl\u0131\u011f\u0131n faaliyetlerine b\u00fcy\u00fck katk\u0131 sa\u011flad\u0131. Okul sezonunun yakla\u015fmas\u0131 ve \u00e7al\u0131\u015fmalar\u0131n a\u015famalar\u0131yla ilgili g\u00fcncel bilgileri Ticaret…<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15776,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"video","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[63],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15775","post","type-post","status-publish","format-video","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dergiden-haberler","post_format-video"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tukid.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15775","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tukid.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tukid.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tukid.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tukid.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15775"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.tukid.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15775\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tukid.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15776"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tukid.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15775"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tukid.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15775"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tukid.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15775"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}