Turkey

• Available Market Research
• Best Prospects in the ICT Market
• Chambers of Commerce
• Channels of Distribution
  • Agents / Distributors
  • Business to Business (B2B)
    • Banks
    • Newspapers
    • US Subsidiaries
  • E-Commerce
    • ASP
    • Internet Service Providers
  • Educational
  • Governmental
  • Leasing
  • Retailers
  • Telecommunications Systems Operators
  • Used / Reconditioned
    • Computers
  • VARS, ISVs, Resellers, System Integrators
    • Resellers
• Directories and Databases
• Duties, Tariffs & Taxes
• General Country Information
• Intellectual Property Rights
• Legal Issues
• Market Research
• Search Engines
• Technical Standards
• Trade Associations
• Trade Publications
• Trade Shows, Exhibitions and Seminars
• Trade Statistics
• User Groups
• E-Mail Links to the Respective Industry Specialist(s)

Available Market Research

Industry Sector Analyses are industry specific reports prepared either by US Commercial Service Staff or local market research contractors.  Typical reports include:

• A Market Overview
• Market Highlights and Best prospects
• Statistical Data
• Best Sales Prospects
• Competitive Analysis
• End-User Analysis
• Market Access (includes information on duties, taxes, standards etc.)
• Trade Promotion Opportunities
• Trade Publications
• Market Research Companies
• Trade Associations
• Agents, Distributors and Manufacturers

International Marketing Insights (IMI) contain industry specific information and are short, concise reports.  

For a listing of available ISAs and / or IMIs, please click here.

This information is available free of charge to all US companies. 

Welcome to the U.S. Commercial Service

The U.S. Department of Commerce is represented worldwide by the Commercial Service.  The Commercial Service supports U.S. commercial interests and assists American businesses in their export marketing efforts.

Our offices offer business counseling and a wide range of tailored services to assist American firms to identify business opportunities throughout the world. Our offices foreign companies who wish to partner with American companies in areas of distribution of American products, joint ventures, and licensing. While some services are fee-based, many are provided free of charge. We welcome you to our site and encourage you to visit other websites that are likely to be of interest to you.  To find the country of interest, please visit: http://www.buyusa.gov/home/export.html. 

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Best Prospects in the ICT Market

For further information about the Turkish market, please consult the Country Commercial Guide.

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Chambers of Commerce 

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Channels of Distribution

For further information of the definitions of the channels of distribution, please click here. The following are known ICT sales channels.   They may or may not be available in all markets.

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Agents / Distributors

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Business to Business (B2B)

Banks

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Newspapers

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US Subsidiaries

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E-Commerce

ASP

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Internet Service Providers

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Educational

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Governmental

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Leasing

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Retailers

None Noted

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Telecommunications Systems Operators

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Used / Reconditioned

Please see: http://web.ita.doc.gov/.

Computers

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VARS, ISVs, Resellers, System Integrators

Resellers

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Directories and Databases

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Duties, Tariffs & Taxes

The Trade Information Center has the European Union tariff schedule on-line for member countries, as well as country specific value added tax rates.  Please see: http://www.trade.gov/td/tic/tariff/eu_schedule/index.html.  

For additional information specific to the ICT Sector, please see: http://web.ita.doc.gov/.

General Country Information

http://www.state.gov/	US Dept. of State's Background Notes
http://travel.state.gov/	US Dept. of State's Consular Information Sheet
http://ankara.usembassy.gov/	US Embassy Ankara
http://www.odci.gov/cia/	CIA Factbook
http://www.turkey.com/	Turkey.Com web portal
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/l	WWW Virtual Library for Turkey
http://geography.about.com/	About's Guide to Turkey
http://www.exploreturkey.com/	Explore Turkey is a service of IstanbulNet, a web development and marketing firm.
http://www.fodors.com/	Fodors is known for being the best site for travel offering hotel, restaurant reviews and their series of mini-guides to specific destinations.
http://travel.lycos.com/	Lycos Guide for Turkey

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Intellectual Property Rights

Secured interests in property, both chattel and real are recognized and enforced.  There is a recognized and reliable system of recording such security interests.  For example, there is a land registry office where real estate is registered.  Turkey's legal system protects and facilitates acquisition and disposal of property rights, including land, buildings, and mortgages, although some parties have complained that the courts are slow in rendering decisions and that they are susceptible to external influence (see "Dispute Settlement").
 
Turkey's intellectual property rights regime has improved, but still presents problems.  In 1995, the Turkish Parliament approved new patent, trademark and copyright laws in connection with preparations for Turkey's customs union with the EU. In 2001, the Parliament enacted amendments to the copyright law, which provide retroactive protection, expand the list of protected items and include deterrent penalties against piracy.  These amendments brought Turkey into compliance with the WTO Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) in most areas.  In recognition of Turkey's progress in the IPR area, USTR removed Turkey from its Special 301 Priority Watch List and placed the country on its Watch List in 2002, where it remains in 2003.
 
Intellectual property holders have praised Turkey's 2001 legislation as a significant improvement in the legal regime.   In the software area, piracy rates have come down in recent years following an anti-piracy campaign and a directive to legalize software used in government bodies.  However, piracy rates for recorded music remain persistently high.  Trademark holders contend that there is widespread and often sophisticated counterfeiting of their marks in Turkey.
 
Turkey's 1995 patent law replaced a law originally passed in 1879.  New trademark, industrial design, and geographic indicator laws were passed at the same time, completely revamping Turkey's foundation for industrial property protection.  Turkey also acceded to a number of international conventions in 1995, including the Stockholm Act of the Paris Convention, the Patent Cooperation Treaty, and the Strasbourg Agreement.  The Turkish Patent Institute (TPI) was established in 1994 as an independent legal entity (Law No. 4004, June 16, 1994) under the Ministry of Industry and Trade.  TPI's mission is to support technological development in Turkey, establish and protect intellectual property rights and provide public information on intellectual property rights.  Currently, TPI is understaffed to affect countrywide protection.
 
In accordance with the 1995 patent law and Turkey's agreement with the EU, patent protection for pharmaceuticals began on January 1, 1999.  Turkey has been accepting patent applications since 1996 in compliance with the TRIPS agreement "mailbox" provisions.  The patent law does not, however, contain interim protection for pharmaceuticals in the R&D "pipeline." 
 
The key IPR concern for research-based pharmaceutical companies is Turkey's lack of data exclusivity protection, which is required by the TRIPS agreement.  The lack of data exclusivity, combined with the lack of interim patent protection, poses substantial problems for research-based pharmaceutical companies.

Intellectual Property Rights are addressed through the following two laws, six decree laws, two decrees and five regulations promulgated in 1994 and 1995:

• Decree Law No. 554, June 24, 1994 provides for the establishment of and functions of the Turkish Patent Institute
• October 25, 1994 decree for accession to the Stockholm Act of the Paris Convention
• Decree Law No. 551, June 27, 1995 provides for protection of patent rights
• Decree Law No. 554, June 27, 1995 provides for protection of industrial designs
• Decree Law No. 555, June 27, 1995 provides for protection of geographical indications
• Decree Law No. 556, June 27, 1995 provides for protection of trademarks
• Law No. 4115, July 7, 1995 provides for accession to the Patent Cooperation Treaty
• Decree No. 95/7094, July 12, 1995 provides for accession to Nice, Vienna and

Strasbourg Agreements

• Decree Law 566, September 22, 1995, the amendment of the Transition Period of Patent
• Protection of Pharmaceutical and Veterinary Products and Processes
• Law No. 4128, November 7, 1995, the addition of penal provisions to the Decree Laws No. 551, 554, 555 and 556

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Legal Issues

None Noted

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Market Research

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Search Engines 

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 Technical Standards

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Trade Associations

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Trade Publications

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Trade Shows, Exhibitions and Seminars

Additional information on how to prepare for and select an international trade show can be found at http://www.exportmichigan.biz/. 

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Telecommunications Equipment

http://www.intracen.org/

User Groups

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E-Mail Links to the Respective Industry Specialist(s)

Mr. Serdar Cetinkaya, Commercial Specialist, Ankara

Telephone: [90] (312) 468-6110 Ext. 2570

Facsimile: [90] (312) 467-1366

E-mail address: Serdar.Cetinkaya@mail.doc.gov 

Industry Sectors: Telecommunications Eq. (TEL), Telecommunications Services (TES)

OFFICE INFORMATION

STREET ADDRESS

US Embassy

110 Ataturk Blvd

Ankara 06100

Turkey

U.S. MAILING ADDRESS

US Embassy - Ankara

PSC 93, Box 5000, APO, AE 09823

Mr. Ihsan Muderrisoglu, Commercial Assistant - Ankara

Telephone: [90](312) 468-6110, ext. 2567

Facsimile: [90](312) 467-1366

E-mail address: Ihsan.Muderrisoglu@mail.doc.gov 

Industry Sectors: Computer Services (CSV), Computer Software (CSF), Computers/Peripherals (CPT), Information Services (INF)

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Revised: November 08, 2008

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