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E-Commerce Rules in Türkiye Are Changing on August 1; Regulations Are Coming for AI-Powered Advertisements

e-commerce

New regulations concerning the e-commerce, digital advertising, and retail sectors in Türkiye will enter into force on August 1, 2026. The rules prepared by the Ministry of Trade aim to protect consumers more effectively against misleading advertisements and unfair commercial practices. The regulations cover AI-powered advertisements, influencer posts, targeted advertising, campaigns, and discounted sales.

Artificial Intelligence Must Be Clearly Disclosed in E-Commerce Advertisements

In the new period, if advertisements feature digital characters created using artificial intelligence technologies that are difficult to distinguish from real people, it will be mandatory to clearly and understandably disclose this situation to consumers.

The regulation introduces new rules in many areas, including digital marketing, artificial intelligence, social media influencers, discounted sales, and environmental claims. Advertising content prepared by analyzing consumers’ online behavior and personal data within the scope of targeted advertising also falls under the new regulations. (e-commerce)

The Last 10 Days Rule for Discounted Sales

Campaigns that make discounts or other advantages offered to consumers conditional on certain requirements will now be subject to the rules concerning discounted sales advertisements. In discounted sales advertisements, the reference price will be the lowest price applied within the last 10 days before the campaign begins. For perishable products such as fruit and vegetables, as well as services, the price applied immediately before the discounted price will be taken as the basis.

Advertising Disclosure Will Be Mandatory in Influencer Posts

In posts made by social media content creators in exchange for any income, free or discounted products, services, or participation in an event, it will be necessary to clearly state that the content is an advertisement. Within this scope, the use of expressions such as “advertisement” or “promotion” in influencer posts will become mandatory.

Response Time for Complaints Is Reduced to 48 Hours

The 72-hour period given to sellers and service providers to respond on consumer complaint platforms will be reduced to 48 hours. If no response is provided within this period, the consumer review may be published directly. In addition, the ban on advertisements for fortune-teller, psychic, and astrologer services, as well as illegal betting and gambling, will be expanded to also cover illegal games of chance. Experts state that the regulations will increase transparency in digital advertising, contribute to consumer protection, and strengthen fair competition in the e-commerce sector.

Türkiye Introduces New Rules to Combat Misleading Advertising and Strengthen Consumer Protection

E-Commerce Has Become Mainstream in Türkiye; Online Card Payment Volume Grew 28 Times in 5 Years

e-commerce

As the development of e-commerce continues in Türkiye, growth figures in sectors connected to e-commerce draw attention. Online card payment volume in Türkiye, which was at the level of TL 260 billion in 2020, reached TL 7.3 trillion as of 2025, growing 28 times. While the average basket amount increased 9.4 times, the number of transactions rose from 848 million to 2.8 billion.

The “Türkiye E-Commerce Ecosystem Report,” prepared in collaboration with KPMG and ideasoft, has been published! The report shows that e-commerce has made a leap in the last five years. According to the report, online card payment volume, which was at the level of TL 260 billion in 2020, reached TL 7.3 trillion as of 2025, growing 28 times. In the same period, the average basket amount increased approximately 9.4 times, while the number of transactions rose from 848 million to 2.8 billion. The average amount per transaction increased from TL 306.7 to TL 2,607. These figures show that consumption habits in the country are shifting to digital.

46.2% of E-Commerce Sellers in Türkiye Are in Istanbul

According to the report, the internet usage rate in Türkiye increased from 79% in 2020 to 90.9% as of 2025. The rate of individuals shopping online increased from 36.5% to 55.7% in the same period. These figures reveal that digital consumption has now become mainstream. This transformation points to strong growth not only on the user side, but also in transaction volumes.

The timing of consumer behavior also draws attention in the report. During the day, e-commerce transaction density reaches its peak especially between 13:00 and 15:00, while on a weekly basis, shopping is seen to take place predominantly at the beginning of the week. When the geographical distribution is examined, 46.2% of e-commerce sellers in Türkiye are located in Istanbul. Ankara follows Istanbul with 9% and İzmir with 6.4%, while other cities show a more fragmented structure.

“E-Commerce Has Become an Area Managed with Insights”

ideasoft CEO Sinan Akdal stated the following in his assessment of the report: “Today, e-commerce has become an area managed with insights. The data we present in the report shows that while e-commerce in Türkiye has made great progress, it has also evolved into a more competitive structure. In particular, the changing balance between categories, the digitalization of daily consumption habits, and the strong increase in transaction volume are among the clearest indicators that the sector has moved into a new phase. Indeed, the 28-fold growth of card payments made only online from 2020 to 2025 clearly reveals the scale that e-commerce has reached.”

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