Although not meant to be all-inclusive, this can give you an introduction to some of the details you need to be aware of for specific markets.
More country-specific information is available from the Trade Information Center's Regional Databases here!
Standards and Documentation
Standards
The International Standards Organization (metric) system is used for weights and measures. Electrical current is 220 volt, 50 hertz. Time in Turkey is Universal Time Coordinated (UTC) plus two hours, and it is seven hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time. Daylight Savings Time is April through October.
The Turkish Standards Institute (TSE), established in 1954, sets standards in Turkey and keeps abreast of standards in other countries. TSE, an accredited agency in international markets, issues standards certificates. Almost all-major companies seek TSEs certification for their products and services. This certificate helps to ensure manufacturers fair competition and ensures the customer of the quality of goods purchased. Correspondence to the TSE should be addressed as follows:
Turk Standartlari Enstitusu (TSE)
Necatibey Caddesi 112
Standart Hazirlama Baskanligi
06100 Bakanliklar
Ankara, Turkey
Tel: [90] (312) 417-0020
Fax: [90] (312) 425-4399
Web site: http://www.tse.org.tr/English/tseDefault1.asp
Turkey has approximately 15,563 standards, 95 percent of which are compatible with ISO/EN standards.
Turkey ranks third among European countries in terms of number of standards. Importers must receive TSE approval on imports of goods covered by obligatory standards. About 250 foreign companies, including DaimlerChrysler, Hitachi, General Electric, Philips, and Siemens that export their products to the Turkish market have received TSE certificates.
Following Turkey's resolution to implement the ISO 9000 Quality Management Standards in 1988, the TSE prepared the compatible TS-EN-ISO 9000 Series Turkish standards. Currently 441 companies have received ISO 9000 certification, 1,042 firms have received ISO 9001 certification and four companies received ISO 9003 certification.
* Turkey and the CE Mark: In April 2004, the Turkish Government began enforcing the CE mark program for exports into Turkey. Turkey adopted the CE mark program to help in its quest to gain admission to the EU.
Documentation
Turkish documentation procedures require a commercial invoice, a certificate of origin and a bill of lading or airway bill to accompany all commercial shipments. Import licenses and phytosanitary certificates are necessary for food and agricultural commodity imports.
Commercial Invoice: The commercial invoice must be submitted in triplicate, including the original copy; and must contain a complete description of the goods and all required payment terms. The original must be endorsed by the exporter as follows: "We hereby certify that this is the first and original copy of our invoice, the only one issued by our firm for the goods herein mentioned." The Turkish Embassy or Consulate in the United States must certify the document. At least one copy of the invoice should accompany the goods, and the original should be sent to the importer through the correspondent bank.
Certificate of Origin: The certificate of origin is to be prepared in duplicate. No corrections are permitted on this document, which is to be prepared in English by a local chamber of commerce. The certificate of origin must be certified by the Turkish Embassy or Consulate in the United States. One copy of the document must be surrendered to the customs authorities at the time of importation.
Bill of Lading/Airway Bill: Details in the bill of lading should correspond exactly to those given in other shipping documents.
Proforma Invoices: The proforma invoice must not be more than six months old at the time of application. It must contain an unexpired option (if appropriate), indicate freight and insurance charges separately, and bear the importer's name.