Turkey Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in turkey, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Selling Factors and Techniques
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We suggest U.S. firms provide full support (i.e., product literature, technical information, budget and advertising, and promotional materials) to their Türkiye-based manufacturer’s representative or agent. Potential government buyers and private-sector importers should review marketing literature clearly indicating the name and address of the local representatives/distributors. 

Establishing personal contacts in Türkiye is critical. Regular visits to government and private sector customers demonstrate a dedication to the market, and we encourage U.S. companies to support their in-country representatives by joining these meetings whenever possible. Each sector has its peculiarities and challenges, which means U.S. companies must develop customized marketing strategies that are responsive to their sector. Some government customers require extensive briefings, demonstrations, and trial units, while private sector customers are typically driven by cost and efficiency. 

Another common and effective practice is to invite the representative/agent to the United States every year for an annual sales strategy meeting. Common methods of sales promotion in larger Turkish cities include international trade promotion events, such as fairs, exhibitions, and seminars. These fairs provide opportunities for U.S. companies to assess and meet existing competition.  In Türkiye, approximately 400 trade fairs and exhibitions are held annually across all sectors. CS Türkiye promotes attendance by prospective Turkish buyers at major trade shows in the United States and Europe. Sector specialists take Turkish business delegations to trade shows in the United States under the Trade Event Partnership Program and counsel U.S. delegations that attend European, and Middle Eastern trade shows. Likewise, the FAS organizes trade teams to U.S. agriculture and food shows. CS Türkiye will continue to coordinate with other U.S. Commercial Service offices and event organizers to facilitate buyer visits to these events. https://www.trade.gov/turkey-events

Trade Promotion and Advertising

Türkiye possesses a wide variety of trade promotion and advertising channels spanning print and digital. In Türkiye, TV advertising, digital media, and online ads are very popular. Newspaper and magazine ads can also serve as effective trade promotion tools for U.S. exporters. 

For companies seeking to advertise through newspapers, Hurriyet Daily News, Anadolu Agency, Daily Sabah, and Türkiye Newspaper are the country’s leading English-language daily publications. Major Turkish-language newspapers include Cumhuriyet, Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Sozcu, and the country’s primary newspaper specializing in commercial/economic issues, Dunya, which has an extensive advertising section. Major weekly or monthly business periodicals include Turkish Time, Para, Ekonomist, Capital, and Fortune Türkiye. 

Well-known business association publications as well as sector-specific periodicals and online publications include: Ambalaj Dunyasi (packaging), C4 Defence (defense), MetalSan (iron and steel), PetroTurk (energy), and Turkdokum (casting). These publications, too, serve as potential advertising channels. 

The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB) publishes local trade fairs and shows on its website annually. In addition, CS Türkiye’s Business Service Provider Directory is designed to help U.S. companies identify professional service providers to assist them in the assessment, completion, and/or financing of an export transaction. 

Pricing

Price has traditionally been the most important business consideration, especially in government tenders. Existing public procurement law instructs buyers to procure the product/service with the lowest price and best quality, and per a July 2017 government decree, products produced domestically receive a 15% price advantage. In general, the lowest price wins in public procurement tenders, however, life-cycle analysis or best value procurement is sometimes considered. In both public and private sales, creative financing, which reduces upfront cash outlays or extends the terms of payment, can be of great value to Turkish clients. The government’s policy is to use domestically produced products in public tenders. However, the World Bank, ERRD, EIB and other multi-national financing would eliminate this preference. In some cases, Türkiye needs to follow WTO and EU Customs regulations. Turkish private sector is certainly free to make their procurements domestically or internationally. In fact, large amounts of raw materials used in manufacturing, are mostly imported.

U.S. firms should consider the recent devaluation of the TL against the U.S. dollar when making price calculations for their products and services, especially when in competition with local suppliers. 
While imports from EFTA countries and bilateral free trade agreement partner countries are exempt from duties, U.S. firms can nevertheless remain competitive by offering financing alternatives to low-cost, credit-hungry Turkish buyers. EXIM Bank, DFC, and USTDA have a variety of financial vehicles to assist U.S. exporters and investors.

Financing also includes GSM-102 export credit guarantees, which are available for most agricultural products. CS Türkiye urges U.S. exporters to utilize letters of credit and other methods to ensure timely payment.

Sales Service / Customer Support

In certain industries, such as machinery and automotive, after-sales service and/or customer support offerings can be a competitive advantage for U.S. exporters. U.S. suppliers may want to identify local agents and/or distributors with the necessary service and maintenance capabilities or consider establishing an office in Türkiye capable of providing after-sales services. 

After-sales services in Türkiye are governed by the Ministry of Trade under the Consumer Protection Law No. 6502 and the After-Sales Services Regulation, which require producers and importers of designated products to provide maintenance and repair support throughout the product’s economic life. The regulation mandates certified service networks, registration of service points in the Ministry’s electronic system (SERBIS), and transparency in publishing service details. Amendments introduced in 2020 and 2021 strengthened compliance by setting renewal requirements for service certificates, prohibiting charges for warranty-related logistics, and allowing digital delivery of warranty documents. By establishing strict timelines for repairs, forty-five business days for vehicles and twenty for other goods, the framework ensures consumer protection while aligning Turkish practice with EU standards.

Local Professional Services

The Business Service Provider (BSP) Directory is designed to help U.S. companies identify professional service providers for assistance in the assessment, completion, and/or financing of an export transaction in Türkiye. The service providers are selected based on our knowledge of the types of support U.S. companies require when conducting business in Türkiye. English-speaking attorneys specializing in commercial law, investment legislation, joint ventures, corporate law, tax law, bankruptcy law, public finance, banking corporations, criminal, and civil law are available for consultation with U.S. business representatives. 

U.S. companies can also find large U.S. accounting and financial firms operating in Türkiye to assist in establishing a presence in the Turkish market. The BSP directory is not comprehensive and inclusion of a particular company does not constitute a U.S. Government or Commercial Service endorsement or recommendation. We assume no responsibility for the professional ability or integrity of the providers listed. We also reserve the right not to list a company.

If you need additional information or assistance in locating service providers in categories not listed, contact:

Aysesu Celasun
Admin and Commercial Assistant
U.S. Commercial Service
U.S. Embassy, Ankara, Türkiye
Aysesu.Celasun@trade.gov

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

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The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

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