Turkey market entry checklist

1. Structure and tax

• Operating model chosen: foreign seller, subsidiary/branch or marketplace
• VAT position confirmed: e-service VAT registration, reverse charge or local VAT
• Digital Services Tax scope checked (5 % in 2026, 2.5 % from 2027)
• Invoice language (Turkish) and currency rules agreed with the accountant

2. Data protection (KVKK)

• Data inventory and legal bases
• Turkish privacy notice; explicit consent only where required; consent log
• VERBİS registration or documented exemption
• Standard contracts for foreign processors, notified within 5 business days
• Data subject request process (30 days)
• 72-hour breach runbook

Details: KVKK technical compliance.

3. Invoicing

• e-Fatura / e-Arşiv obligation determined
• Special integrator selected; buyer lookup implemented
• Cancellation and return flows; archive retention
• Physical stores: fiscal device (ÖKC) integration

4. Payments

• Licensed provider (TCMB list) or bank virtual POS
• TRY pricing; installment table by card BIN; category caps respected
• 3D Secure flow with server-side verification
• Refund/cancel logic and daily reconciliation

5. Consumer law and marketing

• Pre-information form and distance sales contract, versions stored
• 14-day withdrawal flow and exceptions
• İYS integration for e-mail/SMS consent; opt-out handling

6. Localization

• tr-TR casing for UI, invariant for identifiers; Turkish collation and search
• 1.234,56 numbers, ₺/TL, dd.MM.yyyy, 24-hour clock, Europe/Istanbul
• il / ilçe / mahalle address model; +90 phone numbers in E.164
• Turkish copy reviewed by a native speaker; legal texts by a lawyer

7. Launch

• End-to-end test orders: payment → invoice → e-mail → refund
• Support channel in Turkish
• Owner for yearly revaluations (thresholds, penalties)

Frequently asked questions