Parliament passes law on consumer protection

ANKARA

Türkiye's parliament has passed a new law aimed at bolstering consumer protections and increasing competitiveness in domestic markets.

Under the new legislation, contracts between creditors and consumers can now be formalized using identity verification methods through information or electronic communication devices.

However, consumer credit contracts must be executed in writing or via distance methods to be considered valid. The regulations extend to agreements between housing finance institutions and consumers as well.

The law also includes provisions to support the competitiveness of domestically established marketplaces, protect them from foreign competitors and boost employment levels and export growth.

In cases of unfair commercial practices, violators may face penalties, including a suspension of their business operations for up to three months and administrative fines ranging from 60,000 to 600,000 Turkish Liras. If the violation occurs on a national scale, fines can increase from 600,000 to 6 million liras.

In other legislative developments, the plenary approved a presidential motion to extend the Turkish military's mission in Lebanon under the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) for another year.

Meanwhile, the parliament's justice committee approved a bill containing new regulations on national security-related crimes.

The proposed changes, set to be debated in the general assembly, would add an article titled "committing a crime against the security or political interests of the state" to the Turkish Penal Code’s section on state secrets and espionage.

It stipulates prison sentences of three to seven years for those who commit such crimes at the behest of foreign states or organizations.