Consumer Protection Law in Turkiye

Everyday transactions, whether purchasing household furniture for an expat apartment, securing digital platform subscriptions, or buying a vehicle, are strictly regulated under consumer protection frameworks. However, international residents and tourists frequently face significant vulnerabilities, including the delivery of defective goods, substandard services, or local vendors refusing to honor statutory return windows. Because language barriers can make resolving these issues directly with vendors nearly impossible, predatory businesses often assume foreign buyers will not enforce their legal rights.

At Kotan & Gökce Law Firm, we actively defend the rights of international consumers in Turkiye. Our practice ranges from resolving e-commerce disputes and unlawful subscription renewals to managing high-stakes financial fraud, such as credit card skimming, identity theft, and fraudulent bank loans taken out by scammers using stolen foreigner identification numbers. We ensure that deceptive businesses and negligent financial institutions are held fully accountable under the Turkish Consumer Protection Law.

Our Scope of Services for International Consumers:

  • Defective Goods and Services Claims: Pursuing full refunds, product replacements, price reductions, or free structural repairs for faulty or falsely advertised products.

  • Consumer Arbitration Board Filings: Preparing and managing fast-track applications before the local Consumer Arbitration Committee (Tüketici Hakem Heyeti) and the Consumer Courts.

  • Banking and Financial Service Disputes: Contesting unfair credit card fees, hidden interest charges, or deceptive loan terms imposed by local banks.

  • Identity Theft and Cybersecurity Representation: Launching swift legal actions and criminal complaints against banks when security failures allow identity thieves to clone credit cards or open unauthorized personal loans in your name.

  • E-Commerce and Remote Sales Protection: Enforcing your consumer rights against online marketplaces, fraudulent websites, and unverified digital booking platforms.

  • Subscription and Telecom Disputes: Canceling unfair, auto-renewed service contracts and disputing inflated bills from mobile network, internet, or utility providers.

Why Kotan & Gökce?

Fierce Advocacy Against Major Corporations:

We do not hesitate to challenge large banks, global e-commerce platforms, or local telecom giants. We utilize Turkiye's robust consumer protection statutes to level the playing field for international residents.

Fast-Track Financial Recovery:

Many consumer disputes in Turkiye can be resolved without lengthy court trials through the Consumer Arbitration Committee. We handle the entire bureaucratic process on your behalf, navigating the thresholds smoothly while keeping you updated in plain English.

Comprehensive Asset and Identity Protection:

If you are a victim of financial cybercrime, we step in immediately to freeze fraudulent transactions, shield you from unapproved debts, and clear your name with local financial authorities.

Critical Consumer Realities in Turkiye

Purchasing an item online that arrives defective, counterfeit, or completely different from the description.

Turkiye enforces a strict 14-day “Right of Withdrawal” (Cayma Hakkı) for online and remote purchases, allowing consumers to return goods without showing any cause or paying a penalty. If a local vendor ignores this window or avoids your emails, we file an immediate claim with the Consumer Arbitration Committee to compel a mandatory, legally enforced refund.

A vendor acknowledging a returned item but intentionally withholding your refund.

It is a common frustration for international buyers to return a product successfully, only for the company to indefinitely delay the refund. When businesses act in bad faith, simply waiting for customer service is ineffective. We issue formal demands that trigger immediate statutory default interest against the company, forcing a rapid financial settlement.

 

Discovering unauthorized credit card charges or finding that a fraudulent loan was opened under your foreigner residency number.

Under Turkish banking and consumer laws, commercial banks bear strict objective liability for maintaining foolproof cybersecurity and identity verification protocols. If a scammer bypasses a bank’s security to drain your funds or register a loan in your name, the bank can often be held legally liable for the loss. We launch immediate litigation to declare the fraudulent debt null and void while demanding the restoration of your stolen capital.

 

Suffering from hidden contract clauses, surprise subscription renewals, or arbitrary account deductions.

Deceptive “unfair terms” (haksız şart) hidden within long Turkish-language terms of service agreements are legally invalid. If a service provider automatically renews a contract without your explicit, verifiable consent, or hits you with unannounced fees, consumer tribunals possess the clear authority to strike down the charges and order full restitution.

You do not have to accept defective products, bad-faith corporate billing, or financial fraud while living in Turkiye. To recover your funds, contest an unfair consumer contract, or challenge a banking security breach, contact our consumer law team to schedule a prompt consultation.

Your legal partner in Izmir-Turkiye

Please contact us for consultation. You can reach us via WhatsApp, phone or e-mail.

info@kotangokce.com Mon – Fri 09:00-18:00

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