PRICE TAG AND ANIMAL DERIVED PRODUCT LABELING OBLIGATIONS FOR RETAIL BUSINESSES

Ensuring that consumers are fully and accurately informed about product prices and product composition through appropriate labeling is a legal obligation under Turkish law. Retailers selling apparel, footwear, bags, accessories, as well as other consumer goods such as electronics, cosmetics, kitchenware, toys, and sports equipment, who fail to comply with price tagging regulations and, where applicable, animal-derived product composition labeling regulations, shall be subject to administrative fines.

Legal Obligation to Display Price Tags and Labels

1. General Requirements for Price Tags:
   Under Turkish law, as per the Regulation on Price Tags (in Turkish “Fiyat Etiketi Yönetmeliği”), all consumer productsoffered for retail sale must bear a price tag that clearly indicates the sales price and unit price, country of manufacture, distinctive feature indicating the type of the product (e.g., shirt, pen, glass), the effective date of the sales price and the unit price of the product, as further detailed hereinafter.

• All of the mandatory information listed below shall be written in Turkish, in a legible and comprehensible manner.
• For each product offered for retail sale, the sales price and the unit price shall be clearly indicated to the consumer, and the date on which such prices become effective shall also be specified. Thus, in the event of price changes, the consumer shall be enabled to know since when the price has been effective.
• All taxes, including VAT, must be included in the sales price displayed.
• It is mandatory that sales prices be indicated in the form of ‘Turkish Lira’, ‘TL’ or the ‘₺’ symbol. However, such obligation shall not apply to the prices of package tours, educational services, and transportation and accommodation services to be performed abroad.
• For imported goods, the country of manufacture must be written in Turkish.
• Retailers should ensure that price tags are displayed at the edge of each product, on shelves, racks, and in display windows, so that they are clearly visible and legible to consumers. While digital methods such as QR codes may be used as supplementary tools, physical price tags remain mandatory and cannot be replaced solely by digital tools.

Penalties for Non-Compliance:

Failure to display price tags or providing incomplete/incorrect information constitutes a violation. As of 2025:

• An administrative fine of TRY 3,166 per violationapplies
• Fines are calculated per price tag per product, so multiple untagged items can significantly increase total penalties
• There is no statutory ceiling on total fines; they accumulate per product

Regular inspections conducted by the Ministry of Trade have underscored the strict enforcement of price tag regulations, highlighting the critical importance of compliance across all retail sectors.

Retailers can appeal fines within 15 days of notification to the relevant authority. Evidence such as photos, invoices, and product labels should be included.

2. General Requirements for Labels of Products Containing Animal-Derived Components:

Alongside the provisions set forth for the price tags, as per the Communiqué on Conformity Inspection of Certain Consumer Products (in Turkish “Bazı Tüketici Ürünlerinde Uygunluk Denetimi Tebliği”), for consumer products containing animal-derived components, it is mandatory to indicate the specific animal from which the component is obtained on the product’s label, on the packaging, or on an accompanying documentation, as set forth below.

• For consumer products containing animal-derived components, the component (such as leather, wool, fur, silk, beeswax, gelatin-based adhesives in stationery or cosmetics, or horsehair in brushes) shall be indicated on the on the product’s label, on the packaging, or on an accompanying documentation.
• In the case of distance sales, this information must also be clearly presented to the consumer alongside the product specifications.
• The information must be provided in Turkish, and it must be easily visible, legible, and non-misleading.

Inspections and Penalties for Non-Compliance:

Inspections are conducted in accordance with Law No. 7223 on Product Safety and Technical Regulations (in Turkish “7223 sayılı Ürün Güvenliği ve Teknik Düzenlemeler Kanunu”). In the event that animal-derived components are detected, and a non-compliance is determined through inspection and confirmed by the Ministry, corrective measures may be imposed including (i)ensuring the product’s compliance with the regulation, (ii)preventing the product from being placed on the market, (iii)withdrawing the product from the market, (iv) providing adequate warnings to consumers.

The Ministry may also carry out such actions ex officio and recover any associated costs from the Seller. Furthermore, pursuant to Law No. 7223, administrative fines may be imposed.

Compliance Recommendations

• Each product should have a visible and legible price tag and label in Turkish.
• This obligation is not limited to shelves or the product itself; price tags must also be clearly visible on display windows, exhibition areas, product edges, and shelves.
• All taxes, including VAT, must be included in the sales price.
• The date on which such prices become effective must be indicated.
• Product features, country of manufacture, and for animal-derived products, the specific animal source must be clearly indicated.
• While digital methods such as QR codes may be used as supplementary information tools, physical price tags remain mandatory.
• Retailers should conduct regular audits of price tags on shelves, racks, and displays to ensure compliance and safeguard consumer trust.

Retailers are required to comply with price tag and labeling regulations to avoid fines and ensure transparency for consumers.

Our Law Firm remains at your disposal for any further clarifications you may need.

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