Insights E-Commerce

Değişikliklerle birlikte Elektronik Ticaret Aracı Hizmet Sağlayıcı olarak tanımlanan Pazaryeri İşletmecileri ile Elektronik Ticaret Hizmet Sağlayıcı olarak tanımlanan Satıcılar, bir yandan getirilen değişikliklerin kendileri için ne gibi sonuçlar doğuracağını anlamaya çalışırken bir yandan da faaliyetlerini ve özellikle de e-ticaretle bağlantılı süreçlerle ilgili olarak akdettikleri sözleşmeleri bu mevzuat değişiklikleri ile birlikte getirilen yeni yükümlülüklere uyumlu hale getirmeye çalışıyorlardı. Nitekim önemli birçok yükümlülüğün yürürlük tarihi de geçtiğinden bu uygulama ve sözleşme değişikliklerinin birçoğu tamamlanmış oldu.

With a law published on the Official Gazette dated 07 July 2022 and numbered 31889, significant changes were made in the Law on the Regulation of Electronic Commerce with no. 6563 (“Law”). With the relevant amendment, the definitions of "electronic commerce service provider" and "electronic commerce intermediary service provider" and the obligations of these service providers were added to the Law. In addition, certain additional obligations were regulated for service providers exceeding the thresholds determined by the Law. The same Law also stated that the determined thresholds can be increased by half by the President in February 2023.

07 Temmuz 2022 tarihli 31889 sayılı Resmi Gazete’de yayımlanan bir kanun ile 6563 sayılı Elektronik Ticaretin Düzenlenmesi Hakkında Kanun’da (“Kanun”) önemli değişiklikler yapılmıştı. İlgili değişiklikle, Kanun’a “elektronik ticaret hizmet sağlayıcı” ve “elektronik ticaret aracı hizmet sağlayıcı” tanımları ve bu hizmet sağlayıcıların yükümlülükleri eklenmişti. Ayrıca, bu hizmet sağlayıcılar için Kanun’da farklı eşikler belirlenerek, belirlenen eşikleri aşan hizmet sağlayıcılar için birtakım ek yükümlülükler düzenlenmişti. Yine aynı Kanun’da, belirlenen eşiklerin Cumhurbaşkanı tarafından 2023 Şubat ayı içerisinde yarısına kadar arttırılabileceğine yer verilmişti.

The Amendments to the Law on Electronic Commerce and the New Regulation on Electronic Commerce Intermediary Service Providers and Electronic Commerce Service Providers have entered into force in Turkey as of January 1, 2023. These impose significant obligations on e-marketplaces and e-commerce sellers/providers, with non-compliance resulting in administrative monetary fines of up to TRY 40 million. The obligations include providing identification information, establishing an internal communication system, complying with rules on receiving and confirming orders, removing unlawful content, obtaining an e-commerce license, and providing certain information required under the Tax Procedure Law. Additional obligations apply to operators and sellers/providers with a net transaction volume exceeding certain thresholds.

Turkey has introduced new legislation concerning geographical data and geographical information systems (GIS). Companies processing geodata must obtain a permit or a licence, depending on the scope of their activity, and the legislation also requires software that is considered a GIS to be certified by the Ministry of Environment Urbanization and Climate Change. E-commerce firms which process address information countrywide may be subject to this legislation and required to obtain a Geodata license, employ a GIS specialist, and submit semiannual reports. Failure to obtain a Geodata permit or licence may result in an administrative fine or even a cessation of operation.

Bilindiği gibi 7 Temmuz 2022 tarihli Resmî Gazete’de, çevrim içi ortamda pazar yeri işleten ve gerek bu pazar yerlerinde gerek kendi internet sitelerinde satış yapan kişiler yönünden çok önemli yükümlülükler getiren Elektronik Ticaretin Düzenlenmesi Hakkında Kanun’da (“Kanun”) yapılan değişiklikler (“Kanun Değişikliği”) yayımlanmıştı. Kanun Değişikliği ile getirilen değişikliklerin detaylandırılmasını amaçlayan Elektronik Ticaret Aracı Hizmet Sağlayıcı ve Elektronik Ticaret Hizmet Sağlayıcılar Hakkında Yönetmelik de 29 Aralık 2022 tarihli Resmî Gazete’de yayımlandı.

6563 sayılı Elektronik Ticaretin Düzenlenmesi Hakkında Kanun’da (“Kanun”) yapılan değişiklik kapsamında hazırlanan ve 29.12.2022 tarihli ve 32058 sayılı Resmi Gazete’de yayınlanan Elektronik Ticaret Aracı Hizmet Sağlayıcı ve Elektronik Ticaret Hizmet Sağlayıcılar Hakkında Yönetmelik (“Yönetmelik”) ile getirilen başlıca düzenlemeler.

The Cosmetic Regulation defines cosmetic products and sets criteria for their quality and safety. Ads for cosmetic products are subject to restrictions to protect human health. Advertisements must comply with general regulations such as the Regulation on Commercial Advertisement and Unfair Commercial Practices, as well as cosmetics-specific regulations. Cosmetic ads should clearly state the product's features, avoid misleading health claims, and adhere to the cosmetic product definition. The Board of Advertisement closely monitors these regulations, aiming to prevent misleading marketing and ensure accurate information is provided to consumers.

The Regulation on Electronic Commerce Intermediary Service Providers and Electronic Commerce Service Providers has been published to ensure the development of electronic commerce and establish an effective and fair competition environment. One of the significant amendments to the regulation is the section on the violation of intellectual and industrial property rights. The regulation aims to provide quick results for the protection of intellectual and industrial rights by obligating e-commerce platforms to remove the product subject to the complaint without investigation, thereby taking an active role in protecting intellectual and industrial rights.

Turkey's amended Law on the Regulation of Electronic Commerce has introduced a new Regulation on Electronic Commerce Intermediary Service Providers and Electronic Commerce Service Providers. The new rules set out the obligations of electronic commerce intermediary service providers (ETAHS) and electronic commerce service providers (ETHS) concerning the provision and verification of information, the handling of orders, the regulation of unlawful content and unfair commercial practices, and the establishment and amendment of intermediation agreements. The regulation also establishes requirements for the advertising and discount budgets of large and very large ETAHS and ETHS and the creation of an electronic commerce license.

The Turkish Competition Authority has prepared a Draft Bill to amend the Law on Protection of Competition, aiming to regulate and protect fair competition in the digital sector and align with the European Union's Digital Markets Act. The Draft Bill introduces new definitions, such as "core platform services" and "significant market power" (SMP), and extends the scope of the Authority's supervision to digital platforms providing core platform services. Undertakings with SMP must adhere to certain obligations, and violations may result in administrative fines, while repeated breaches could lead to a ban on mergers and acquisitions for up to five years.