Important Amendments to the Turkish Regulation on Distance Contracts (Effective from 1 January 2026)

On 24 May 2025, significant amendments to the Regulation on Distance Contracts ("Mesafeli Sözleşmeler Yönetmeliği") were published in the Official Gazette (No. 32909) by the Turkish Ministry of Trade. These changes, which will enter into force on 1 January 2026, introduce new obligations for sellers, intermediary service providers, and e-commerce platforms regarding pre-contractual information and return procedures.

Key Amendments at a Glance

1. Enhanced Pre-Contractual Information Requirements

The amendments revise Article 5 to strengthen the obligations of sellers regarding the information they must provide to consumers before concluding a distance contract. Specifically:

• If the consumer has a right of withdrawal, the seller must inform them of the conditions, period, and procedure for exercising this right, along with details of the designated return carrier.

• Sellers must now clearly state that disputes may be resolved by applying to the consumer arbitration committee or, where required, first to a mediator before resorting to the consumer courts under Article 73/A of the Consumer Protection Law.

  
  

2. New Rules on Return Shipping Costs

Changes to Article 12 introduce detailed provisions to protect consumers from incurring costs during product returns:

• If the consumer returns the goods using the return carrier specified by the seller in the pre-contractual information, the consumer cannot be held liable for return costs.

• If no return carrier is specified, the seller cannot charge the consumer any return costs.

• If the designated carrier does not have a branch in the consumer’s location, the seller is obliged to collect the goods from the consumer at no additional cost.

• In distance contracts established through online platforms, if the platform provider is responsible for either the absence of carrier information or the lack of a local branch of the carrier, then the platform provider must bear these return-related costs and responsibilities.

  
  

3. Repealed Provisions

• Article 13(3) and Article 15(1)(i) of the Regulation have been repealed, effectively removing certain exemptions or procedural steps that previously applied.

  
  

Effective Date

These amendments will take effect on 1 January 2026, allowing e-commerce companies, sellers, and platforms time to update their systems and contract templates to ensure compliance.

Disclaimer: This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or tax advice.