Türkiye – Import Inspection of Certain Products Required to Bear the CE Marking (Product Safety and Inspection: 2026/9)

Scope

• Covers products within the scope of the technical regulations listed in Annex-1 and the product list in Annex-2, imported under Release for Free Circulation.
• Does not cover goods returned under Outward Processing (re-imported goods) within the meaning of the Communiqué.
• Controls are executed electronically through TAREKS (Risk-Based Control System), with the Turkish Standards Institution (TSE) designated as the inspection body for the CE import controls referenced in the Communiqué’s definitions and workflow.

Mandatory Surveillance Certificate

For in-scope products, customs clearance requires:

• A TAREKS Reference Number confirming “import permitted” to be recorded in Box 44 of the customs declaration.

Key points on the reference number:

• It is generated through TAREKS as the outcome of risk-based assessment and, where applicable, physical inspection.
• Valid for 1 year from the date of issuance.
• It is not evidence that the product is definitively compliant/safe; it only enables the import transaction under the risk-based model.

Special fixed reference numbers (no TAREKS application) apply for:

• Certain imports under the 5th part of the implementing decision for Customs Law (Communiqué provides a fixed 23-digit number), and
• Returned goods (another fixed 23-digit number).

Application and Review Process

1) Company registration and user authorization

• Firms must be defined in TAREKS and must authorize at least one company user to conduct TAREKS transactions.

2) Application timing

• Import controls are carried out before registration of the customs declaration, consistent with the customs procedure referenced in the Communiqué.

3) Submission method

• Applications are filed through TAREKS (via the Ministry’s e-Transactions portal or e-Devlet), uploading the required information and documents defined in Annex-3.

4) Risk analysis

• TAREKS performs a risk analysis using firm/product/transaction indicators (including prior control history, PGD results, manufacturer/importer identity, entry customs office, product type/brand/model/price/quantity, origin/shipping country, etc.).
• Outcomes:

5) Physical inspection (fiili denetim)

• May include one or more of: document control, marking control (CE and related markings), physical examination, and laboratory tests.
• If required documents are not uploaded within deadlines (generally within 20 business days, with possible system-granted extensions), the application is finalized negatively.

Practical Application and Customs Declaration Requirements

Customs declaration (Box 44)

• The importer must record the TAREKS reference number in Box 44 for clearance.

Important operational scenarios

• A.TR pathway: Where the product is declared as supported by an A.TR Movement Certificate, the system can generate the TAREKS reference number directly (as a rule), but products may still be directed to physical inspection based on risk scoring.
• Production-input exemption: For certain Annex-2 products imported as inputs for industrial manufacturing, an exemption letter issued by (or via) the Ministry of Industry and Technology can enable direct reference generation once uploaded to TAREKS. Misuse triggers suspension/withdrawal mechanisms.
• AQAP / GMP pathway: For eligible industrial users importing Annex-2 products for their own needs, once the AQAP or GMP document is defined in TAREKS, a direct reference number for each product can be reused for subsequent imports within the same calendar year (per the Communiqué’s rule).
• “Scope-out” declaration: If the product is listed by GTIP in Annex-2 but is claimed to be outside the scope of the listed technical regulations (Annex-1), the importer submits a scope-out claim to the inspection body during the TAREKS process.

GTIP change / post-clearance identification

• If a product’s GTIP changes and it is determined to fall under the Communiqué, the customs office may redirect it to control (under customs supervision) and the importer must apply via TAREKS.
• If, after import, controls reveal the product should have been within Annex-2, the customs administration communicates findings to the competent authority (notably the Ministry of Industry and Technology for most products; specific routing exists for inflatable boats).

Validity and Legal Effect

• Issuance of a TAREKS reference number does not mean the product is proven compliant or safe.
• The importer remains responsible under Law No. 7223 for:

The reference number cannot be used as a general compliance certificate or marketing proof; it is limited to the import transaction workflow.

Enforcement and Compliance Risk

This Communiqué is operationally sensitive because it combines:

• Risk-based controls (including retroactive identification via post-clearance controls),
• Document authenticity checks (including explicit negative outcomes if documents are found not to be issued by the stated source),
• Potential sanctions and enforcement actions under:

Practical risk areas:

• Incorrect “scope-out” declarations where the product is in fact within the technical regulation scope,
• Missing/late uploads in physical inspection cases,
• CE marking/label/document inconsistencies (especially where “rectification/label handling” is requested—typically requiring structured handling and competent authority/inspection body coordination),
• Post-clearance detection that a product was subject to UGD controls but was not processed accordingly.

Repealed Regulation and Entry into Force

• Repeals Product Safety and Inspection: 2025/9.
• Entered into force on 1 January 2026.

Transitional provision

• For shipments with transport documents issued (or goods presented to customs) before 1 January 2026, imports may be finalized under the repealed Communiqué until 28 February 2026 (inclusive), provided the importer requests and completes the TAREKS application—subject to the Communiqué’s stated conditions.

Compliance Assessment

From a customs and product compliance perspective, importers should implement a “CE import-control readiness” workflow that includes:

• disciplined TAREKS user governance (authorized users, consistent data quality),
• pre-shipment verification that the product truly falls under the relevant Annex-1 regulation(s) and that technical files (EU Declaration of Conformity, test reports, certificates where applicable) are internally complete before submission,
• robust handling of “scope-out” claims only where technically defensible,
• a process for responding to physical inspection requests within deadlines,
• post-clearance monitoring, because “import permitted” via TAREKS does not eliminate later enforcement if the product is found unsafe or non-compliant.

See the legislation document.