

tion in Turkey can immediately stop an import transaction and create substantial financial exposure for the importer. Goods may already be sitting in a customs warehouse or container terminal when the importer receives a negative inspection result. Storage and demurrage costs continue to accumulate while customer delivery deadlines, production schedules and financing obligations remain in place. The first reaction is often to submit another TAREKS application or ask the customs broker to find a different way to clear the shipment. That can be a serious mistake. A TAREKS rejection must first be analyzed according to its precise reason. The problem may concern an actual product-safety failure, an incorrect laboratory result, missing documentation, CE marking, labeling, model identification, technical standards, an incomplete application, refusal to permit testing or even conduct treated by the system as misleading. The appropriate response depends entirely on the nature of the rejection. Turkey’s 2026 import-control regime remains extensive: the Ministry of Trade confirms that the 2026/1, 2, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 25 and 32 Product Safety and Inspection Communiqués entered into force after publication on 31 December 2025. (https://ticaret.gov.tr) Accordingly, importers receiving a negative TAREKS result should act quickly, but they should not attempt to bypass the inspection by making an unauthorized duplicate application, changing information artificially or using an unrelated TPS/TAREKS result.
TAREKS is Turkey’s electronic Risk-Based Trade Control System used for risk-based import and export controls concerning product safety, technical regulations, standards and quality. Rather than physically examining every shipment, the system concentrates controls on transactions selected according to risk criteria. (https://ticaret.gov.tr)
When a product is selected for actual inspection, the competent authority examines whether it satisfies the requirements applicable to that product category.
If the inspection concludes negatively, the TAREKS application may be rejected and customs clearance of the affected goods may consequently be prevented.
No.
This distinction is extremely important.
A negative TAREKS result can arise for different reasons.
Some rejections concern substantive product non-compliance.
Others concern documentation, markings, testing, application procedures or other regulatory requirements.
Therefore:
TAREKS rejection ≠ automatically an unsafe physical product.
The exact rejection code and inspector’s explanation must be examined.
Before communicating with the foreign manufacturer or submitting anything further, obtain the complete TAREKS record.
Determine:
What was rejected?
Why was it rejected?
Which technical regulation or standard was allegedly violated?
Was laboratory testing performed?
Was the problem documentary or physical?
Does the rejection affect every product in the shipment or only certain models?
The Ministry’s 2026 inspection guidance expressly requires the reason for non-compliance to be recorded in detail in the inspector’s note in relevant inspection procedures. (https://ticaret.gov.tr)
That explanation should become the starting point of the legal analysis.
One of the most important outcomes is “Ret: Denetleme Sonucu.”
Current Ministry inspection guidance provides that where an inspection identifies non-compliance with the relevant legislation, the application is concluded with this rejection status and customs is informed of the reason; importation of the affected product is then not permitted. (https://ticaret.gov.tr)
The importer should therefore identify the underlying non-compliance rather than focusing only on the word “rejected.”
Possible reasons vary by product category.
They may involve:
CE marking;
technical documentation;
declaration of conformity;
product labeling;
warnings and instructions;
chemical limits;
electrical safety;
mechanical safety;
test results;
applicable standards;
manufacturer identification;
model identification;
or other requirements under the applicable technical regulation.
There is no single universal TAREKS conformity standard.
For example, the 2026 regime includes separate controls for toys, personal protective equipment and consumer products. Toys are inspected against toy-safety requirements, while PPE is inspected under the applicable PPE regime, and consumer-product controls can involve chemical restrictions, standards and other requirements. (https://ticaret.gov.tr)
A defense that works for machinery may therefore be irrelevant to a toy or protective glove shipment.
This should be done immediately.
The importer should establish:
GTIP → product category → applicable ÜGD Communiqué → applicable technical regulation → inspection requirement → alleged non-compliance.
Without this chain, it is difficult to determine whether the rejection is legally correct.
Sometimes the problem begins before the product-safety analysis.
The imported goods may have been declared under an incorrect tariff classification.
That classification may have caused the product to enter a TAREKS inspection regime that the importer believes should not apply.
In such a situation, both customs classification and product-safety legislation must be examined together.
A genuine classification dispute can be challenged.
Artificially changing a tariff position to avoid inspection creates a much more serious compliance risk.
Compare the physical product against:
commercial invoice;
packing list;
customs declaration;
TAREKS application;
technical documentation;
test report;
and product label.
All should describe the same product consistently.
Suppose the imported product is:
Model ZX-500
but the conformity declaration identifies:
ZX-500A
and the laboratory certificate identifies:
ZX Series.
The importer needs evidence demonstrating whether the certificate and declaration actually cover the imported model.
Corporate groups frequently manufacture goods through several factories.
The invoice may identify one company while the test certificate identifies another.
That discrepancy should be explained with reliable documentation.
For products subject to CE requirements, rejection can arise from deficiencies concerning CE marking or supporting conformity documentation.
The importer should determine whether the issue is:
absence of CE marking;
incorrect marking;
improper placement;
documentation;
declaration of conformity;
or substantive technical non-compliance.
A product bearing a CE mark can still fail regulatory inspection.
The underlying conformity requirements remain important.
Review whether the declaration correctly identifies:
manufacturer;
product;
model;
applicable legislation;
relevant standards;
authorized signatory;
and date.
Do not create a replacement document retrospectively simply to make the shipment appear compliant.
This is one of the most serious categories.
If a sample fails laboratory testing, the importer should obtain and analyze the test result immediately.
Identify:
sample identification;
brand;
model;
batch;
test method;
standard;
measured value;
permitted value;
and final conclusion.
A sample-identification mistake can fundamentally affect the result.
The importer should compare the laboratory sample with the customs and TAREKS records.
Technical standards can change.
A dispute may arise concerning which version or requirement applies to the imported product.
This requires technical and legal analysis together.
Where the measured result is close to the permitted threshold, testing methodology, measurement uncertainty and sampling can become important technical issues.
The importer should obtain qualified technical advice rather than simply arguing that the laboratory “must be wrong.”
Whether retesting or another technical examination is possible depends on the applicable communiqué, inspection procedure and circumstances.
The importer should not assume an automatic right to unlimited repeated testing.
The first task is to understand why the original test failed and whether there is a legitimate technical basis for challenging it.
This is particularly important.
Current Ministry inspection guidance provides in relevant product-control procedures that where testing is required and the importer refuses testing and requests a finding of non-compliance, the application can be concluded as “Ret: Denetleme Sonucu.” (https://ticaret.gov.tr)
Therefore, refusing testing merely because it is expensive or time-consuming can have direct consequences.
Suppose the product is technically compliant but the importer cannot provide a required document.
That situation should not be analyzed in exactly the same way as a product that physically fails a safety test.
The legal and commercial solutions may be different.
This depends on the applicable procedure and stage of inspection.
Importers should provide requested documents within the applicable period rather than assuming deficiencies can always be corrected after rejection.
Foreign manufacturers often need time to locate certificates or technical files.
The Turkish importer should request the complete compliance package before shipment.
A shipment may also face difficulties because required labels, warnings or other markings are missing or incorrect.
Certain inspection guides distinguish marking deficiencies from other types of non-compliance and provide specific treatment for repeated deficiencies. (https://ticaret.gov.tr)
The precise applicable guide must therefore be reviewed before deciding whether a labeling issue can be remedied.
Potentially in certain circumstances and under the applicable regulatory procedure, but this should never be assumed.
The importer must determine whether the defect is legally capable of correction before release and whether the competent authority permits the relevant action.
Changing labels, packaging or markings while goods remain under customs supervision without obtaining the required authorization can create additional problems.
An extremely important situation occurs when a single application contains several products or models and only some are non-compliant.
The importer should determine whether compliant goods can be separated from rejected goods.
Current Ministry inspection guidance expressly contemplates situations where a single TAREKS application contains multiple product details and some products are acceptable while others must be rejected. In such cases, the guidance provides for a new application concerning the compliant products, after which the original application can be concluded negatively. (https://ticaret.gov.tr)
This can be commercially crucial.
A container contains:
1,000 units of Model A;
1,000 units of Model B;
500 units of Model C.
Only Model C fails the relevant requirement.
The importer should immediately examine whether Models A and B can proceed under the procedure applicable to compliant products rather than treating the entire commercial shipment as irrecoverable.
The same Ministry guidance warns that where an importer makes a new application for goods already identified as non-compliant, the duplicate-application rules can apply. (https://ticaret.gov.tr)
This is a major practical point.
A new TAREKS number does not erase the history of the rejected product.
After rejection, some companies immediately attempt:
a new application;
another customs office;
a different warehouse;
a different model description;
or a different user account.
This should not be done without first examining the applicable rules.
Risk-based inspection loses effectiveness if rejected products can simply be submitted repeatedly until they receive a favorable outcome.
The system and inspection guides therefore contain controls against duplicate or misleading transactions.
Current Ministry guidance provides that attempts aimed at preventing the risk analysis from operating correctly can be treated as misleading transactions and can result in a “Ret: Yanıltıcı İşlem” outcome. (https://ticaret.gov.tr)
This should be taken far more seriously than an ordinary documentation mistake.
Attempting to avoid an ongoing inspection through an improper TPS number or unauthorized transit arrangement is specifically identified in Ministry guidance as conduct capable of triggering a misleading-transaction rejection. (https://ticaret.gov.tr)
Importers should therefore never attempt to “solve” a rejection through unofficial customs shortcuts.
Another problem arises where goods cannot actually be found in the relevant customs area during the inspection.
The Ministry’s guidance states that where products are not present—for example because the order arrived incomplete or the goods have not yet reached the customs area—the application can be concluded negatively because the necessary determination or examination cannot be performed. (https://ticaret.gov.tr)
The importer should therefore coordinate TAREKS applications carefully with physical shipment status.
Potentially, yes.
A TAREKS rejection is an administrative determination arising from a regulatory inspection process.
Where the importer believes the decision is based on factual, technical or legal error, the applicable administrative and judicial remedies should be examined promptly.
Possible arguments include:
the product was misidentified;
the wrong technical legislation was applied;
the laboratory tested the wrong model;
the test methodology was incorrect;
the document actually satisfies the requirement;
the inspector misunderstood the manufacturer structure;
the goods are outside the scope of the relevant control;
or the decision lacks an adequate factual basis.
A court or administrative authority cannot determine an engineering question merely from an importer’s statement that the product is safe.
The file should contain technical evidence.
Depending on the product, this may involve:
electrical engineering;
mechanical engineering;
chemical analysis;
textile testing;
toy safety;
PPE testing;
or another specialist discipline.
Where applicable, sample identification and chain of custody may become relevant.
The importer should identify and preserve:
TAREKS application;
inspector notes;
document requests;
submitted documents;
laboratory report;
correspondence;
negative result;
and notification to customs.
Do not spend weeks negotiating with the manufacturer while ignoring Turkish administrative-law deadlines.
The date on which the relevant decision was communicated or became legally actionable may be important.
Multinational companies often lose valuable time because the Turkish subsidiary waits for headquarters approval.
Internal corporate procedures do not suspend Turkish legal deadlines.
The answer depends on the product, customs status, applicable legislation and nature of non-compliance.
Historically, the Ministry has explained that goods found unsafe or non-compliant in import safety inspections may be prevented from entering the country and, depending on the legal framework, may face outcomes such as destruction, return to the country of origin or transit to an accepting third country. (https://ticaret.gov.tr)
The precise current legal route must be assessed for the individual shipment.
Even where the importer believes it has legal arguments, prolonged storage may make litigation commercially unattractive.
Management should compare:
cost of challenging the rejection;
storage;
demurrage;
testing;
potential correction;
re-export;
and replacement sourcing.
Commercial mitigation and legal liability are separate questions.
A company may decide to remove goods from Turkey to stop accumulating losses while preserving appropriate legal positions where available.
This depends on the defect.
If a product can legitimately be brought into conformity outside Turkey, future importation may be possible subject to applicable requirements.
However, the company should ensure that the defect has actually been corrected.
The goods may potentially be corrected through compliant manufacturing and labeling procedures before a future shipment.
If the product itself fails a substantive safety requirement, merely replacing the certificate or label will not solve the problem.
The physical product may need redesign or manufacturing changes.
Documentation must correspond with reality.
Potentially, yes.
This is often overlooked.
The Turkish importer may have purchased goods under a contract requiring compliance with Turkish technical regulations.
If the goods fail TAREKS because the manufacturer supplied non-compliant products or incorrect documentation, the importer should examine contractual remedies.
Relevant provisions may include:
product specifications;
regulatory compliance warranties;
CE compliance;
certification obligations;
Turkish-market compliance;
indemnities;
inspection clauses;
rejection rights;
and governing law.
Delivery terms allocate particular logistics, risk and cost responsibilities.
They do not necessarily determine liability for supplying products that fail mandatory Turkish safety requirements.
Potentially, depending on the contract and governing law.
The importer should preserve evidence connecting the manufacturer’s breach with the losses.
warehouse invoices;
demurrage;
container detention;
testing costs;
re-export expenses;
replacement-product costs;
customer penalties;
and lost sales.
That is not enough.
A product complying with another country’s requirements is not automatically compliant with every Turkish technical requirement applicable to importation.
For recurring imports, the company should conduct a product-specific review before shipment.
Sometimes the product itself is compliant but incorrect information was entered into the TAREKS application.
The importer should determine whether the problem originated from:
the importer;
customs representative;
foreign manufacturer;
testing institution;
or administration.
If the importer provided correct information but the representative entered the wrong model or manufacturer, that factual distinction may become relevant to contractual responsibility.
Potentially, depending on the nature of the violation and applicable legislation.
Turkey’s product-safety framework does not operate solely through border rejection. Product safety legislation also contains administrative enforcement mechanisms, and the Ministry continues active enforcement against non-compliant products. In the first six months of 2026, the Ministry reported market-surveillance measures including bans on placing products on the market, recalls, risk notifications and administrative fines for non-compliant consumer products. (https://ticaret.gov.tr)
The importer should therefore examine whether the matter ends with refusal of importation or creates additional regulatory exposure.
Import inspection occurs before goods enter the Turkish market.
Market surveillance concerns products that have entered or are being supplied on the market.
The legal mechanisms overlap in their safety objectives but are procedurally distinct.
A TAREKS failure should trigger an internal review.
If the same model has previously been imported and sold in Turkey, management should determine whether the newly identified defect may also exist in earlier batches.
Where a genuine safety defect exists, focusing only on the container currently at customs may be insufficient.
Previously marketed products may require separate assessment under Turkish product-safety legislation.
Turkey’s current policy remains strongly focused on preventing unsafe products from entering or remaining on the domestic market. The Ministry states that import controls aim to ensure minimum safety requirements relating to human health, life and property, animal and plant health, the environment and consumer protection. (https://ticaret.gov.tr)
The 2026 framework covers numerous product groups through dedicated ÜGD Communiqués and inspection guides. (https://ticaret.gov.tr)
A TAREKS rejection should therefore be treated as a regulatory compliance matter, not merely as a customs-document problem.
Immediately obtain the full rejection record.
Identify:
the rejection category;
affected products;
applicable communiqué;
technical regulation;
inspection findings;
laboratory results;
and customs status.
Tell the warehouse and customs teams not to take improvised steps to bypass the rejection.
Contact the manufacturer and obtain the complete technical file.
Compare every document against the actual imported product.
Determine whether the problem is factual, documentary or substantive.
Calculate commercial exposure.
Identify:
daily storage;
demurrage;
container detention;
customer penalties;
production interruption;
re-export cost;
and replacement-product cost.
Decide between the realistic legal and commercial alternatives.
These may include challenging an incorrect determination, supplying legitimately available information where the procedure permits, separating compliant products, addressing remediable deficiencies, re-exporting goods, pursuing contractual claims against the supplier or preparing an administrative-law challenge.
A useful internal table is:
Product | Model | Rejection Reason | Technical Requirement | Evidence | Correctable? | Challengeable? | Commercial Solution
This prevents management from treating every product in a large shipment identically.
A company may have a strong legal argument but face EUR 5,000 per day in demurrage.
Another company may have minimal storage costs but a shipment worth EUR 3 million.
The correct strategy can therefore differ even where the legal issue is similar.
Before every shipment, verify:
GTIP;
applicable 2026 ÜGD Communiqué;
technical regulation;
manufacturer;
brand;
model;
CE marking;
declaration of conformity;
test reports;
labels;
warnings;
instructions;
and other product-specific requirements.
Do not keep documents only by supplier.
One manufacturer may produce dozens of models subject to different requirements.
A certificate valid three years ago should not automatically be assumed to remain sufficient.
The contract should clearly identify who is responsible for preparing documentation needed for Turkish import controls.
When products fail a TAREKS import control, the importer should first determine whether the rejection arises from substantive product non-compliance, laboratory testing, documentation, labeling, CE requirements, product identification, procedural deficiencies or allegedly misleading conduct. The applicable 2026 ÜGD Communiqué and inspection guide should then be identified and compared with the inspector’s stated rejection reason. Where laboratory testing is involved, the exact sample, model, test method, applicable standard and measured results should be reviewed. Where only some products in a mixed application are non-compliant, the importer should determine whether compliant goods can proceed through the procedure contemplated by the applicable inspection guide. The importer should not attempt repeated applications for products already found non-compliant or manipulate tariff, model, origin or shipment information to bypass the inspection. If the rejection appears technically or legally incorrect, the complete administrative record should be preserved and appropriate administrative or judicial remedies evaluated without missing applicable deadlines. At the same time, management should calculate storage and demurrage exposure and consider mitigation through legally available re-export or other customs solutions. Finally, the supply contract should be reviewed to determine whether the foreign manufacturer must compensate the importer for non-compliant products, defective certificates, testing costs or resulting commercial losses. The practical roadmap is therefore: obtain the rejection decision → identify the rejection code → identify the applicable 2026 communiqué → examine the inspector’s reasons → verify GTIP and product scope → review technical documentation → examine laboratory results → verify model and manufacturer → determine whether the defect is correctable → separate compliant and non-compliant products where legally permitted → avoid unauthorized duplicate applications → calculate storage and demurrage → preserve procedural deadlines → challenge technically or legally erroneous findings → consider lawful re-export where commercially necessary → pursue the foreign supplier where contractual responsibility exists → implement pre-shipment compliance controls for future imports.
It means the relevant import-control application has received a negative result under the applicable inspection procedure. The exact consequences depend on the rejection reason and product category. In inspection guides covering relevant product groups, a finding of non-compliance can result in “Ret: Denetleme Sonucu,” with customs being informed that importation is not permitted. (https://ticaret.gov.tr)
Not necessarily. Ministry guidance specifically addresses duplicate applications and warns against resubmitting products already found non-compliant outside the permitted procedure. The rejection history should therefore be reviewed before any new application is made. (https://ticaret.gov.tr)
In certain procedures, yes. Ministry guidance contemplates mixed applications containing both compliant and non-compliant products and permits a new application for the products found compliant under the stated procedure. (https://ticaret.gov.tr)
In relevant inspection procedures, Ministry guidance states that where testing is necessary but the importer refuses testing and requests a finding of non-compliance, the application is concluded as “Ret: Denetleme Sonucu.” (https://ticaret.gov.tr)
Potentially. The importer should examine sample identity, model, test method, applicable technical requirement and results and obtain technical expertise where necessary. The applicable administrative procedure must then be determined.
Possibly, depending on the precise deficiency, applicable technical legislation and procedural stage. A documentary or marking deficiency should be distinguished from substantive physical non-compliance.
It concerns situations treated as misleading transactions under the relevant TAREKS inspection guidance. Attempts to interfere with risk analysis or evade an ongoing inspection through improper procedures can trigger this type of rejection. (https://ticaret.gov.tr)
The available customs and regulatory options depend on the product and circumstances. Depending on the applicable framework, options may include removal from Turkey, return to origin, transit to an accepting country or other legally prescribed treatment. The importer should determine the appropriate route before storage costs escalate.
Potentially. If rejection resulted from non-compliant products, inaccurate certificates, incorrect conformity documentation or another contractual breach attributable to the manufacturer, the importer should examine damages, indemnification, replacement and refund rights under the sales contract.
Do not attempt to bypass the rejection. Obtain the complete inspection record, identify the precise reason and applicable 2026 communiqué, preserve laboratory and technical evidence, calculate daily commercial losses and determine promptly whether the correct strategy is a technical/legal challenge, separation of compliant goods, lawful corrective action, re-export or a claim against the supplier.
A TAREKS rejection can leave imported goods blocked at customs while storage, demurrage, container detention, testing costs, customer claims and production losses continue to increase. The appropriate response depends on whether the problem concerns documentation, CE marking, labeling, laboratory testing, technical non-compliance or the TAREKS procedure itself.
Fırat Fesih Kaya Law Office provides legal assistance to foreign manufacturers, international suppliers, Turkish importers and multinational companies facing TAREKS and product-safety disputes in Turkey.
Fırat Fesih Kaya can assist with TAREKS rejection analysis, failed product safety inspections, laboratory and technical disputes, CE and conformity-document problems, partial shipment rejections, re-export procedures, supplier liability, administrative challenges and related judicial proceedings.
Phone: +90 312 434 22 22
Mobile Phone: +90 532 769 22 22
Email: info@firatfesihkaya.av.tr
Address: Mevlana Boulevard No: 221, Yildirim Tower, Balgat, Cankaya / Ankara, Turkey