Recent Development
On 27 June 2026, the Ministry of Trade (“Ministry”) published the Regulation on Refurbished Products (“Regulation”). The Regulation will enter into force on 1 August 2026 and repeal the Regulation on the Sale of Refurbished Products dated 22 August 2020.
The Regulation introduces significant changes to the refurbished products market for both market players and consumers. In this regard, the Regulation (i) expands the range of products that can be refurbished and offered for sale, (ii) strengthens the financial and corporate eligibility criteria applicable to refurbishment centers, (iii) requires refurbishment processes to be monitored through a single electronic infrastructure, (iv) includes “on-site refurbishment points” in the refurbishment ecosystem and (v) enhances the level of consumer protection in terms of the right of withdrawal and warranty period.
The Regulation is available here (in Turkish).
What Does the Regulation Introduce?
Products That Can Be Refurbished and Offered for Sale
Used products that can be refurbished and offered for sale will include televisions, in addition to mobile phones, tablets, smart watches, computers, game consoles and modems. Accordingly, televisions may also be refurbished in accordance with the standards determined by the Ministry and re-offered for sale under warranty.
General Principles and Refurbishment Authorization
- The Ministry will establish the Refurbished Product Information System (tr. Yenilenmiş Ürün Bilgi Sistemi, YÜBİS) in order to ensure transparent monitoring of refurbishment processes. Refurbishment processes must be carried out through this system and the electronic certificate generated through the system must be provided to consumers. All refurbishment centers, authorized sellers and on-site refurbishment points will be registered in the system.
- In order to obtain a refurbishment center authorization certificate, the applicant must be a capital company. Moreover, the required minimum paid-in capital amount will be increased from TRY 30 (thirty) million to TRY 100 (one hundred) million.
- “On-site refurbishment points”, defined as “real or legal persons using the refurbishment authorization held by a refurbishment center within the scope of the regulations or standards determined by the Ministry”, will be included in the refurbishment ecosystem. Accordingly, refurbishment centers will also be able to exercise their authorization through on-site refurbishment points in accordance with the standards determined by the Ministry.
Procedures and Principles Regarding the Refurbishment Process
- Refurbishment authorization refers to the authorization to carry out all technical processes required to make the relevant products available for resale by improving their hardware, software or physical properties.
- The requirement that goods with electronic identification information must have usage traffic dating back at least 1 (one) year and that all personal data belonging to the previous user must be destroyed during refurbishment will remain in place. In addition, the device must be activated and at least 1 (one) call must be successfully made through the used product.
- Authorized sellers will be jointly and severally liable with the refurbishment center for the rights granted to consumers in relation to the refurbished products they sell. This liability will continue among the stakeholders even if the commercial activity ceases.
Rights Regarding Refurbished Products
- Consumers will have the right to withdraw from the contract within 14 (fourteen) days without providing any reason, not only for distance sales but also for refurbished products purchased from physical stores.
- The requirement to provide a warranty of at least 1 (one) year for refurbished products as of the delivery date to the consumer will remain in place. Requests for free repair or replacement must be fulfilled within a maximum of 20 (twenty) business days.
Sanctions and Transition Period
- If practices that violate the provisions of the Regulation or harm consumers’ health or economic interests are identified, the relevant center will be issued a written warning. If the violation continues despite such warning, the Ministry may cancel the center’s authorization certificate. No new certificate will be issued to a center whose authorization certificate has been cancelled for a period of 1 (one) year.
- Companies holding a refurbishment center authorization certificate as of 1 August 2026, the date on which the Regulation enters into force, and which submit by 1 September 2026 documentation evidencing that they hold an authorization certificate duly issued by the Ministry, they are incorporated as a capital company, and the individuals authorized to represent the company satisfy the requirements set out in the Regulation, and which further submit by 31 December 2026 documentation evidencing compliance with the minimum paid-in capital requirement of TRY 100,000,000 (one hundred million) and any other requirements to be announced by the Ministry, shall be entitled to continue their operations for the duration of the validity period of their existing refurbishment authorization certificates.
Conclusion
The Regulation aims to increase the added value generated by refurbished products for the economy, prevent waste, strengthen the circular economy and reduce electronic waste. The Regulation is intended not only to govern a technical refurbishment process, but also to establish a transparent shopping ecosystem where consumers are afforded greater protection in the refurbished products market.
In line with the Regulation, which aims to prevent the misuse of incentives such as the installment advantage and 1% VAT reduction granted for refurbished mobile phones, a digital registry record must be created for each device through YÜBİS and electronic verification mechanisms must be operated. When considered together with the TRY 100 (one hundred) million minimum capital requirement, market players should align their operational processes with YÜBİS, act in accordance with the transition timeline and closely monitor secondary legislation and implementation announcements that may be published by the Ministry.
