The Communiqué Amending the Communiqué on the Organization and Evaluation of Overseas Fairs Published

Within the scope of the Communiqué on the Organization and Evaluation of Overseas Fairs (Export: 2010/5), published in the Official Gazette dated 07.05.2010 and numbered 27574 (“Communiqué”); the Communiqué Amending the Communiqué on the Organization and Evaluation of Overseas Fairs (Export: 2010/5) (“Amending Communiqué”), prepared by the Ministry of Trade (“Ministry”), which introduces amendments to the definitions related to the organization of overseas fairs, the authorization processes of organizers, the evaluation criteria for temporary certificate applications, and the provisions on sanctions, was published in the Official Gazette dated 07.10.2025 and numbered 33040.

The regulations introduced under the Amending Communiqué are summarized below for your information.

Regulations on Definitions and the Concept of Organizer

Within the scope of the Amending Communiqué, the term “Undersecretariat” has been replaced with “Ministry of Trade”; moreover, the definition of “Organizer” has been revised. Accordingly, organizers are defined as natural or legal persons authorized by the Ministry to organize overseas fairs promoting Turkish export products and to whom a Temporary Certificate or a Certificate has been issued by the Ministry.

A Temporary Certificate refers to a document issued by the Ministry within the framework of the provisions of the Communiqué, which remains valid for two years starting from the beginning of the year following the date of issuance. A Certificate, on the other hand, refers to an official authorization document granted to organizers who fulfill all the requirements stipulated under the Communiqué, categorized as Class A or Class B, entitling them to organize overseas fairs.

In this context, the duties and responsibilities of organizers have also been updated. Organizers are now responsible not only for the execution and promotion of fairs but also for informing participating companies, conducting reporting processes through digital platforms, and monitoring post-fair performance data.

Accordingly:

• Organizers are obliged to submit up-to-date market information and participant lists to the Ministry in electronic form at least 15 days prior to the start date of the fair.

• The post-fair reporting obligations have been expanded, and organizers are now required to upload all relevant documents and reports to the Ministry’s digital system.

Regulation on Temporary Certificate Application Requirements

Under the Amending Communiqué, the set of information and documents required for the Temporary Certificate application has been updated.

Accordingly:

• The capital requirement of 1 million TL remains unchanged; however, electronically signed financial statements or e-declarations will now be accepted as valid.

• The requirement to employ at least five university graduates remains in force; however, in terms of language proficiency, internationally recognized language exams (such as IELTS, TOEFL, DELF, etc.) will now be accepted in addition to KPDS.

• While the ISO 9001 Quality Management Certificate requirement remains, companies holding an ISO 27001 Information Security Management Certificate may be prioritized during the evaluation process.

Application Process and Evaluation Criteria for Overseas Fairs

Under the Amending Communiqué, the requirement to submit fair applications at least six months prior to the start date of the fair has been preserved; however, applicants are now allowed to complete missing documents electronically at a later stage.

In this context, fair applications will be evaluated based on strategic country priorities, market size, export potential, and past performance data.

The minimum participant numbers for National Participation Organizations and Sectoral Turkish Export Products Fairs remain unchanged; however, a new restriction has been introduced stipulating that organizers failing to meet these minimum participation requirements for two consecutive years will not be authorized to organize the same event again.

In addition, it is now possible for fair monitoring reports to be prepared by international auditing firms experienced in exhibition assessment.

Regulations on Evaluation and Scoring System

Under the Amending Communiqué, the calculation of the Organizer Score will continue to be based on the weighted average of the participants’ evaluation forms and observer scores. However, in determining the annual performance score of organizers, additional factors such as digital reporting quality, sustainability policies, and participant satisfaction rates will now be taken into account.

Organizers whose score falls below 70 points will continue to have their Certificates downgraded to Temporary Certificates, and those demonstrating poor performance for two consecutive years may have their Certificates revoked entirely.

Amendments Regarding Sanctions and Collateral Provisions

The Amending Communiqué also introduces updates to the collateral system and administrative sanctions.

Accordingly:

• Organizers must now deposit a guarantee of 500,000 US dollars in cash or provide an unconditional bank letter of guarantee for the same amount, electronic letters of guarantee (e-guarantees) will now be accepted.

• In cases where an organizer’s Certificate is revoked or obligations are not fulfilled, the corresponding collateral may be directly used to compensate participant grievances.

• Furthermore, organizers whose Certificates or Temporary Certificates have been revoked twice will be permanently barred from submitting new applications.

Effective Date

The provisions of the Amending Communiqué, to be executed by the Minister of Trade, entered into force on the date of its publication, 07.10.2025.