June 2025 – On 12 June 2025, the Turkish Ministry of Trade's Advertising Board ("Board") intensified its oversight of commercial advertising practices, with a particular focus on electric vehicle ("EV") promotions.
During its 358th meeting, the Board reviewed 103 cases, 92 of which were found to be in breach of advertising regulations. As a result, the Board:
- issued suspension orders for the non-compliant advertisements,
- imposed administrative fines totalling TRY 15.8 million (approx. EUR 340,000), and
- ordered access restrictions for eight cases.
Enforcement Summary – First half of 2025
In the first six months of 2025, the Board reviewed 838 advertising cases, finding 753 to be non-compliant. Total fines imposed during this period reached TRY 141.1 million (approx. EUR 3 million).
Key Compliance Issues in EV Advertisements
Based on recent complaints, the Ministry has found that:
- certain manufacturers and sellers have been presenting vehicle range information based on WLTP data, which is obtained under laboratory conditions;
- this data is often advertised in a misleading manner, without adequately reflecting real-world driving conditions.
Regulatory Expectations
In its announcement, the Board emphasised that, in order to prevent consumer deception, advertisements are expected to:
- explicitly state the testing standard used to determine the vehicle's range;
- clearly disclose that real-world range may vary from the figures provided;
- inform consumers about factors that directly affect range, such as air temperature, driving behaviour, and use of air conditioning and heating systems.
Conclusion
The Ministry has underlined that its monitoring activities will continue on an ongoing basis, with a strong emphasis on transparency and consumer protection in EV marketing practices.
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