How to file a consumer arbitration board application in Türkiye

When a seller will not replace a product, refund your money or cancel a subscription, and writing to customer support gets you nowhere, the next stop in Türkiye is the consumer arbitration board (tüketici hakem heyeti). You do not have to write a petition and travel anywhere: the Ministry of Trade's Consumer Information System (TÜBİS) opens through the e-Devlet portal, so you can file from home. The steps below cover which board has jurisdiction, which documents make your case easier, and what happens after you submit. The monetary threshold is re-set every year, so always confirm the current figure before you file.

1. Put a figure on the dispute and check the threshold First write down exactly what you are claiming in Turkish lira: the price of the item, the charge taken from you, the refund you never received. Applying to a consumer arbitration board is the mandatory route for disputes below the annual monetary threshold, which the Ministry of Trade re-sets each year using the official revaluation rate; for 2026 it was announced as 186,000 TL. Disputes above that ceiling fall outside the boards' remit and go through mediation and the courts instead. Confirm the current figure in the announcements on tuketici.ticaret.gov.tr, because it changes every January.
2. Put your request to the seller in writing once more It is not a formal precondition, but you want a record showing that you asked the seller to fix the problem. Send an email, use the support form on the website, or get a reference number from the call centre. That gives your file concrete evidence that you made the request and it was not met. Phone conversations cannot be proved; written records can.
3. Gather your documents in one folder Put the invoice or order summary, the contract if there is one, proof of payment (a statement line or bank receipt), the delivery record and your correspondence into a single folder. Scan them legibly or photograph them in even light, and make sure the amount and the date are visible. Name the files plainly, such as "invoice" or "correspondence-1", so you do not mix them up while uploading.
4. Open the service on e-Devlet Go to turkiye.gov.tr and search for "Tüketici Hakem Heyetlerine Başvuru İşlemi" (Application to Consumer Arbitration Boards). The service is provided by the Ministry of Trade and runs on the Consumer Information System (TÜBİS). Identify yourself with one of the accepted methods: e-Devlet password, mobile signature, electronic signature, Turkish ID card or internet banking. If you stop halfway, you can return to the same service and continue where you left off.
5. Choose the competent board Applications go to the board where the consumer lives or where the transaction took place. Provincial boards have jurisdiction within the province and district boards within the district; where no board exists in a district, the file is handled by the board designated by the Ministry. For online shopping, "where the transaction took place" can be arguable, so choosing your own place of residence is the simplest option. You only pick the province and district from the list and the system matches the right board.
6. Fill in the application form The form asks for your name, ID number, address and contact details, most of which are pre-filled from your e-Devlet record. You then enter the other party's trade name and address, the subject of the dispute, and the nature and value of your claim in Turkish lira. If the amount is in foreign currency it is converted using the Central Bank rate on the application date. Describe events in date order and in short sentences: what you bought, what went wrong, what you asked for, what answer you got, what you are claiming now.
7. Attach the documents and submit Upload the documents you collected and review the form once more, paying particular attention to the claim amount and the seller's trade name. After you submit, the system generates an application number; note it down or save a screenshot. Verbal applications are not accepted, so there is no way to open a file by phone; the written form is what creates the record.
8. Track your file and wait out the decision period You can see the stage of your application in the same e-Devlet service or through the application enquiry screen at tuketicisikayeti.ticaret.gov.tr. Boards must review and decide applications within six months at the latest, and where necessary that period can be extended by up to three more months. Meanwhile the board may ask you for extra information or documents, so watch your e-Devlet notifications and your email. The other side is also given time to respond, so a few months is normal.
9. Enforce the decision, or challenge it The board's decision binds both parties; if a decision in your favour is not honoured, you can take it to an enforcement office and start proceedings. If you believe the decision is wrong, an objection can be filed within two weeks of its notification with the competent consumer court, or with the civil court of first instance where no consumer court has been established. That window is short, so put the notification date in your calendar the day you see it. The ruling given on the objection is final.

⚠ This guide is general information. Yudum cannot be held responsible for the outcome of following it; for official procedures always rely on the institution's own statement. Steps and fees change over time.

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