In Istanbul, the Trade Director Ismail Menteşe stated that before the holiday, inspections were carried out in 18 districts with 130 personnel. The focus of the inspections was to control prices and check labels. They first determine the current selling and purchasing prices of products to prevent price gouging. If they find any unreasonable prices, they request purchase invoices from the company. If anomalies persist, they refer the case to the Unfair Price Evaluation Committee within the ministry.
Menteşe also emphasized the importance of checking price tags on products. They ensure that the labels comply with regulations, especially for discounted items where the previous price should be displayed. He urged consumers to pay attention to these details. The team also checks for the price change date on product labels to ensure transparency. Any discrepancies found result in administrative fines imposed as stipulated by the regulations.
The Trade Director encouraged everyone to have a festive and celebration-filled holiday season, without allowing any businesses to take advantage of the occasion. He reassured that the inspections would continue to ensure compliance with regulations. Mentioning that the trade directorates conduct inspections continuously throughout the year following both ministry and governorate instructions, showing their commitment to consumer protection.
In Ankara, the Acting Trade Director Elif Tan and her team conducted similar inspections at markets in the Çankaya district. They focused on products in high demand during the holiday and essential goods to ensure price stability and label accuracy. Inspections specifically looked for price gouging, discrepancies between label and register prices, and the presence of outdated pricing information on labels.
During inspections, any deviations found result in an administrative fine of 2,172 Turkish Lira per label. If unfair price increases are suspected, the case is documented and referred to the Unfair Price Evaluation Committee for further investigation. The committee then decides on appropriate sanctions, ranging from fines of 52,492 to 524,960 Turkish Lira for price violations and up to 7,065,097 Turkish Lira for stockpiling practices. These measures are in place to protect consumers and ensure fair trading practices.
