E-commerce law in Turkey, latest: the 2026 rules that affect a site you take over
The latest on e-commerce law in Turkey comes down to three new links in 2026. An amendment to the Distance Contracts Regulation has applied since 1 January 2026 and reshapes return shipping. An amendment to the Commercial Advertising and Unfair Commercial Practices Regulation, published on 1 July 2026, has applied since 1 August 2026 and sets new rules for discounts, reviews, influencers and AI ads. Administrative fines under Law No. 6563 are also 25.49 percent higher for 2026.
The umbrella law stays the same: Law No. 6563 on the Regulation of Electronic Commerce, as amended in 2022 and applied since 1 January 2023. The day the site becomes yours, these rules address you, and its old texts, reviews and discount labels come with it.
Which e-commerce rules changed in 2026?
Three pieces of regulation shape 2026: an amendment on return costs, an amendment on advertising and reviews, and new fine amounts. All three reach a small online shop directly. The table shows when each was published, when it took effect and which part of a site it touches.
| Regulation | Official Gazette | In force | Where it touches the site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distance Contracts Regulation amendment | 24 May 2025, issue 32909 | 1 January 2026 | Pre-contract information, returns and shipping texts |
| Commercial Advertising and Unfair Commercial Practices Regulation amendment | 1 July 2026 | 1 August 2026 | Discount labels, reviews, sponsored posts |
| Law No. 6563 communiqué on 2026 fines | 25 December 2025, issue 33118 | 1 January 2026 | Fine amounts for every obligation |
Why it matters now
Two of these rules took effect in 2026, and most sites on the market are older. Outdated texts mean you take over the gaps too.
What does the return shipping rule change on a site you take over?
Since 1 January 2026, sellers must state in the pre-contract information which courier they propose for returns. If the consumer sends the goods back with that courier, no cost can be charged to them. If no courier is named at all, no cost can be charged either. The pre-contract information must also mention that consumers can apply to consumer arbitration committees or mediation.
The pre-contract text
Open the distance sales contract and pre-contract information form of the site you are taking over. Check whether the returns courier named there matches your own courier agreement. If it names the previous owner’s courier, the text now gives customers wrong information.
If there are marketplace sales
Where return details are missing, or the courier has no branch in the consumer’s area, the amendment places the cost on the intermediary platform. If you are also taking over a marketplace store, check its return settings too.
What is changing for discount labels and reviews?
BU BÖLÜMÜN ÖZETİ
- Reviews on the site you take over
- Old discount labels
- Social media and AI
Under the amendment announced by the Ministry of Trade, the “previous price” in a discount ad is the lowest price of the 10 days before the discount begins. Reviews must be tied to a verifiable purchase and shown openly and accessibly. Sponsored social media posts and ads with AI characters now need clear labels too.
Reviews on the site you take over
Ask the previous owner which order each review is linked to. Get legal advice on reviews that have no purchase verification. Deleting negative reviews selectively may clash with the requirement to show reviews openly.
Old discount labels
Remove crossed-out “old prices” that do not fit the 10-day rule, and keep a dated price history from takeover day onwards.
Social media and AI
Posts made in return for money, free products or discounts must carry the word “advertisement” or “promotion”. AI characters that are hard to tell from real people must be clearly disclosed in ads. On complaint platforms, the seller’s response time drops from 72 to 48 hours.
How do registrations pass to the new owner: ETBİS, İYS and personal data
BU BÖLÜMÜN ÖZETİ
- ETBİS registration
- İYS and the opt-in list
- Account access
Selling a site does not move its registrations to you automatically. ETBİS registration, commercial message consents and personal data duties are tied to the business, so whoever runs the site must hold them in their own name. Think of it as changing the shop sign before you lift the shutters.
ETBİS registration
Businesses selling online register with the Electronic Commerce Information System (ETBİS) before they start trading. The basis is the 2017 ETBİS communiqué. If you will run the site under your own company, register in your own name and confirm the details with your accountant.
İYS and the opt-in list
Email and SMS consents are recorded in the Message Management System (İYS) under the brand that collected them. The previous owner’s consents were given to their business. Before messaging that list, ask a lawyer whether the consents can pass to you.
Account access
Alongside registrations, Search Console, Analytics and payment accounts also move to the new owner. We walk through the steps in transferring Search Console ownership.
How large are the fines in 2026?
A communiqué dated 25 December 2025 raised the administrative fines under Law No. 6563 by 25.49 percent for 2026. The lowest band starts at TRY 2,859. Failing to comply with a request for information and documents costs between TRY 143,102 and TRY 715,516. For a small site, these amounts can shake the till badly.
Where to find the full list
Each obligation has its own minimum and maximum; see Official Gazette issue 33118 of 25 December 2025. Amounts are updated yearly by the revaluation rate.
What it means for you: a 6-point legal check before the takeover
Regulation is not a wall that blocks the deal; it is a few extra lines on your inspection list. The six points below cover the legal side, the first one mattering most. For everything else, use the list in how to inspect a site before buying.
- Do the distance sales contract and pre-contract form name the returns courier and the arbitration option?
- Is there a 10-day record for the crossed-out prices on product pages?
- Can reviews be verified against purchases?
- Do sponsored posts on the social accounts carry an “advertisement” label?
- What details do you need to register with ETBİS in your own name after the takeover?
- Whose name is the İYS record of the email and SMS opt-in list in?
Effect on the decision
Gaps on this list do not make a site bad; they describe your work. Most of them are text updates and registrations. Failed online shops usually fall for other reasons, as we explain in why online stores fail.
Starting with an established asset
ASSETOR lists digital assets that are set up, running and already generating demand, in Silver (TRY 60,000), Gold (TRY 90,000) and Platinum (TRY 180,000) tiers. The process runs as inspect, choose, take over. You can start inspecting with the list above on the ASSETOR digital assets page. The overall maths is in buying a ready-made online business.
Quick Summary
- Since 1 January 2026, the returns courier must be named in the pre-contract information.
- Since 1 August 2026, discounts use the lowest price of the previous 10 days.
- Reviews must be purchase-verified and shown openly.
- 2026 fines are 25.49 percent higher; the lowest band is TRY 2,859.
- ETBİS and İYS records must be in the name of whoever runs the site.
- After a takeover, every gap on the site becomes the new owner’s responsibility.
Short Glossary
Pre-contract information form: The pre-contract information form is the document used in distance sales to give the consumer seller, product and withdrawal details before the contract is made.
ETBİS: ETBİS is the Electronic Commerce Information System used by online sellers in Turkey to register and report to the Ministry of Trade.
İYS: İYS is the national Message Management System used to record and manage consents for commercial email, SMS and calls.
Next Step
If your checklist is ready, the next step is choosing the asset to inspect. See the digital assets for sale on ASSETOR and let us go through the list together on the asset you pick.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sık Sorulan Sorular
Any site selling to consumers online. Being small or owned by a sole trader does not put a site outside the scope.
It is usually tied to the previous owner’s tax number and does not pass to you. Sign your own, then update the returns text.
After the takeover, any gap left on the site counts as a gap in your business. For liability from the earlier period, have a clause written into the takeover contract. Ask a lawyer about your own situation.
No, no earnings guarantee is given. The asset is handed over as it is: set up, running and generating demand. Sales after the takeover and legal compliance are in your hands as the person running the business.
The person or company that will run the site. Registration is done before online sales begin. Confirm the details with your accountant.
Since 1 August 2026, reviews must be shown openly and accessibly. Deleting negative reviews selectively may clash with that requirement. Get legal advice on reviews without purchase verification.
Updated: October 2026