Decisions Taken at the Meeting of the Advertisement Board Dated July 10, 2025 and Numbered 359

At its 359th meeting held on July 10, 2025, the Advertisement Board (Board), operating under the Ministry of Trade, evaluated a total of 134 files. Following the examinations, it was determined that 122 of these files were in breach of consumer protection legislation. Accordingly, the Board imposed suspension measures on the relevant advertisements, applied administrative fines amounting to TRY 15,733,665 in total, and further ruled on access blocking measures with respect to three files in order to prevent consumer grievances. In the decisions adopted in July, particular emphasis was placed on issues such as food supplement packaging containing expressions that may mislead consumers through health claims, automotive advertisements including inaccurate technical allegations, promotional campaigns disseminated with expired or incomplete information, and superiority claims lacking scientific substantiation. The Board underlined that such practices may directly affect consumers’ economic decision-making processes and stressed that advertisers must provide information that is compliant with the legislation, transparent, and verifiable.

Suspension Sanction Imposed on Snc Oil’s “Restorative Motor Oils” Advertisements Due to Lack of Scientific Substantiation

It was determined that promotional materials published on www.sncoil.com.tr and on the product packaging of Snc Oil Petrolcülük A.Ş. contained statements under the heading “Restorative Motor Oils,” claiming that the motor oils provide protection by repairing vehicle parts and enhance performance. Although the company submitted documents alleging that the products had restorative properties, no scientific tests, reports, or conformity assessments directly substantiating these claims were provided. The documents presented merely contained explanations relating to certain ingredients, and were not of a probative nature with respect to the product as a whole. Accordingly, the Board concluded that the expressions used in the promotional materials did not reflect the truth and were misleading and deceptive for the average consumer. In this context, the Board ruled on the suspension of the advertisements in question with respect to Snc Oil Petrolcülük A.Ş.

Administrative Fine and Suspension Sanction Imposed on Misleading Technical Information in Electric Vehicle Advertisements

It was found that promotional materials published on the website www.ssangyong.com.tr and on the social media account @kgm_tr by Şahsuvaroğlu Dış Tic. Kim. Ürünleri Otomotiv Pazarlama San. ve Tic. Ltd. Şti. included statements that the Torres EVX model vehicle achieved increased range and up to 635 kilometers of driving distance in low temperatures thanks to its heat pump. The examination revealed, however, that the features cited in the promotions were in fact provided not by a heat pump but by a Webasto branded high-voltage heater. Therefore, consumers were not accurately informed about the vehicle’s characteristics. The Board concluded that the advertisements were misleading, deceptive to consumers, and contrary to the principles of fair competition. In this respect, an administrative fine of TRY 863,580 was imposed on the company, in addition to the suspension of the relevant advertisements.

Suspension Sanction Imposed on Vava Cars’ “52 Days No Waiting” Claim

It was determined that promotional materials published on the website www.vava.cars by Vava Cars Turkey Otomotiv A.Ş. included the statement “52 Days* No Waiting (*Average duration of vehicles listed for sale).” Upon examination, the Board found that this claim was not based on objective, verifiable, or scientific data, that no research results substantiating the allegation were presented to consumers, and that the claim had been disseminated to a wide audience through coverage on third-party websites. The Board concluded that the promotional materials were misleading and deceptive for the average consumer and could directly affect consumer behavior. In this respect, the Board ruled on the suspension of the relevant advertisements.

Administrative Sanction Imposed on Fil Filo for Promotional Materials Exceeding Legal Authority

It was established that promotional materials published on the website www.filfilo.com by Fil Filo Otomotiv A.Ş. contained statements suggesting that the company could perform services which are legally reserved to licensed attorneys. The advertisements included promises to initiate and pursue compensation lawsuits arising from traffic and workplace accidents, to provide legal opinions, and to conduct judicial proceedings. In addition, consultancy services were offered through the provision of a contact telephone number. The Board concluded that these promotional materials created the impression that the company was operating in a field for which it held no legal authority, exploited consumers’ lack of knowledge, and were misleading in nature. Accordingly, an administrative fine of TRY 600,000 was imposed on Fil Filo Otomotiv A.Ş. In addition, it was decided that the unlawful content be removed, and that, in the event of failure to comply within twenty-four hours following notification, access to the website www.filfilo.com would be blocked.

Suspension Sanction Imposed on Emirates’ “World’s Best Airline” Claim

It was found that a sponsored advertisement published on the Meta platform by Emirates, via its official account, included the statement “Fly to your destination with the world’s best airline.” The Board determined that this statement constituted a superiority claim of a comparative nature, yet no reference was made in the advertisement to the data on which the claim was based, nor was any scientifically valid evidence presented to substantiate it. Consequently, the Board concluded that the promotional material was misleading and deceptive for consumers and contrary to the principles of fair competition. In this context, the Board ruled on the suspension of the relevant advertisements with respect to Emirates.

Administrative Fine and Suspension Sanctions Imposed on Signal White Now Advertisements Due to Misleading Claims

It was determined that Unilever San. ve Tic. Türk A.Ş., through television, in-store promotions, and product packaging, promoted its product Signal White Now Color Correct with statements such as “Helps remove 4 years of yellowing,” “Reverses 4 years of yellowing in a single brushing,” and “Helps remove yellowing built up over the years.” In its examination, the Board observed that the reports submitted only related to the change in the appearance of discoloration on teeth, while the advertisements failed to clarify that the effect was limited to visual appearance, thereby creating the impression that discoloration was permanently removed. The Board considered that the promotional materials were misleading and could directly influence consumer behavior. Accordingly, an administrative fine of TRY 3,180,853 was imposed on Unilever San. ve Tic. Türk A.Ş., and suspension of the relevant advertisements was ordered.

Suspension Sanction Imposed Due to Health Claim Expressions on Food Supplement Packaging

It was found that the packaging of the food supplement products Viapecia Pro-Defence Royal Jelly, Beta Glucan, Vitamins, Minerals, and Probiotic Microorganisms, produced by Hes İlaç ve Kozmetik A.Ş., included the expression “Defence.” In its assessment, the Board concluded that the term constituted a health claim. Pursuant to the Regulation on the Use of Health Claims in Food and Food Supplements, only the expressions listed in the annexes of the relevant guideline may be used, and such claims must be accompanied by the necessary conditions set out in the legislation. However, it was established that the product packaging did not include any reference to the relevant guideline expressions and did not satisfy the required conditions. The Board determined that the use of such wording misled consumers by creating the impression that the product had a direct effect on the immune system, thereby exploiting consumer vulnerability and violating the applicable legislation. Consequently, the Board ordered the suspension of the relevant advertisements with respect to Hes İlaç ve Kozmetik A.Ş.

Administrative Fine and Suspension Sanctions Imposed Due to Failure to Indicate Campaign Periods in Discount Advertisements

It was found that Aslan Ticaret Dayanıklı Tüketim Malları Ltd. Şti. and Emsan Mutfak Gereçleri Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. conducted in-store promotional campaigns under the headings “Resonant Prices up to 50% Discount” and “Big Winter Sale up to 50% Discount,” respectively, without specifying the start and end dates of the campaigns. The Board underlined that discount promotions must explicitly and clearly indicate the validity period of the price reduction, and that failure to do so may mislead consumers. In this context, an administrative fine of TRY 86,358 was imposed on each company, and the suspension of the relevant advertisements was ordered.

Suspension Sanction Imposed on Vodafone Dealer for Continuing to Promote Expired Tariffs

It was established that, at a Vodafone dealership operating under Vodafone Telekomünikasyon A.Ş., posters displayed in the shop window promoted tariffs including “10 GB 1000 min 250 SMS for TRY 205” and “20 GB 1000 min 250 SMS for TRY 265.” The examination revealed that the validity of these tariffs had expired but the posters remained displayed, and that the advertisements did not contain any information regarding validity periods, exceptions, or usage conditions. The Board evaluated that such promotional materials created the impression for the average consumer that the tariffs were unconditionally available as advertised, thereby misleading consumers and conflicting with the principles of fair competition. Accordingly, the Board ruled on the suspension of the advertisements published by the dealer.