New Regulation On Plant Quarantine Was Published

The Regulation on Plant Quarantine (the “Regulation”) was published in the Official Gazette dated 6 May 2026 and numbered 33245 and will enter into force ninety days after its publication date namely, 9 Augst 2026. The Regulation repeals the Plant Quarantine Regulation published in the Official Gazette dated 3 December 2011 and numbered 28131.

The Regulation governs the plant health rules and official control procedures applicable to the entry into and exit from Türkiye of plants, plant products and other materials.

The key regulations introduced by the Regulation are as follows:

• All entry, exit and transit procedures are now carried out through the Plant Quarantine Registration and Tracking System (“BKKTS”). and wet signatures are not required for such procedures. In cases where it is not possible to carry out the procedures through BKKTS, they shall be conducted physically with the approval of the General Directorate of Food and Control.
• Regulation now recognizes Plant Health Certificates signed electronically, with a wet signature, or with a digital signature, and containing a QR code or verification code, as original certificates, provided that they are notified to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (“Ministry”) by the National Plant Protection Organizations of the exporting countries and accepted by the Ministry.
• Official controls are conducted in three stages: document control, declaration control and plant health control. Where a non-compliance is identified, the process does not proceed to the next stage. Importers are required to submit prior notification within the time periods determined according to the mode of transport.
• During transit, transport in closed and sealed vehicles is mandatory in order to prevent the contamination of harmful organisms. Plants, plant products and other materials whose entry is prohibited under Annex 3 are transited in refrigerated or closed container transport vehicles without any change in their customs status; such products may under no circumstances be subject to unloading, discharging or transhipment.
• Entry controls of products arriving from abroad are carried out at the point of entry into the Customs Territory of the Republic of Türkiye. Products that have undergone plant health control in a free zone are not subject to further control upon importation into the domestic market. Products subject to pest risk analysis that are designated by the Ministry are accepted into free zones solely for the purpose of being processed for re-export; free circulation of such products within the country is not permitted, and their exit abroad may only be effected with a Re-Export Phytosanitary Certificate.
• The importation of products for which pest risk analysis has not been completed or has yielded an unfavourable result is prohibited. Plants, plant products and other materials listed in Annex 3 may not enter the country; products that do not meet the special conditions set out in Annex 4 are also denied entry. In addition, a risk assessment is carried out by a commission to be established by the Ministry for high-risk products that, although not listed in Annex 3, are found to pose an unacceptable level of pest risk following a preliminary evaluation.
• The entry of products contaminated with quarantine harmful organisms or GMOs is blocked, and their return to the exporting country is ensured within ten days at the latest. Seeds carried by passengers without declaration are confiscated and destroyed.
• The Phytosanitary Certificate is issued in accordance with ISPM 12 rules and may be issued no earlier than fourteen days before the date of shipment. Exit must be completed within fourteen days of the issuance of the certificate; otherwise, the products are subject to re-inspection. Information unrelated to plant health, such as animal/human health, pesticide residues and similar matters, may not be included in the certificate.
• Applications for re-export are made through BKKTS; a Re-Export Phytosanitary Certificate is not issued for products contaminated with harmful organisms designated as quarantine pests by the destination country.
• Separate samples are taken for each lot/batch; objections to analysis results must be submitted in writing within seven days of notification of the result. The commission meetings where objections to the analysis results will be evaluated, may be held via video conference upon the request of the product owner or its representative.

You may access the full text of the Regulation here (only available in Turkish).