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Article 68 of the Law on Consumer Protection No. 6502 and the 2026 Duty Limit of 186,000 TL. This guide has been prepared by taking into account the legislation in force as of 2026 and the implementation principles of the Ministry of Commerce.
In Türkiye, consumers must first apply to the Consumer Arbitration Committee in disputes arising from goods and services acquired for commercial or non-professional purposes; This obligation is valid for disputes below 186,000 TL for 2026 and is a lawsuit requirement that must be exhausted before filing a lawsuit. In disputes equal to or above the limit, a lawsuit is filed directly in the Consumer Court. The application is free, there is no requirement for a lawyer and can be made via e-Government; The committee must make a decision within six, exceptionally twelve months at the latest. Decisions have the nature of judgments and can be directly enforced; However, an objection can be made to the Consumer Court within 15 days from the notification and this period is excluding the rights. Carrying out the process in the right authority and at the right time prevents loss of both time and rights.
Consumer Arbitration Committees are committees established in accordance with Article 68 of the Law on Consumer Protection No. 6502 and the Consumer Arbitration Committees Regulation, which resolve disputes between the consumer and the seller or provider below a certain monetary value, free of charge and administratively, without filing a lawsuit. They operate within the Provincial Directorate of Commerce in the provincial centers and within the district governorship in the districts; They have a five-person structure consisting of the president and representatives of the bar association, municipality, chamber of commerce and consumer organization.
The mission of the delegation is; These include defective goods and service disputes, claims arising from warranty certificates and after-sales services, right of withdrawal disputes arising from distance contracts, door sales, subscription agreements, objections regarding credit card and bank charges, and consumer demands arising from package tour and transportation contracts. The decisive factor is that one of the parties to the dispute has the title of a "consumer" who makes transactions for his personal needs and not for commercial or professional purposes; Disputes arising from purchases made by an enterprise within the scope of its commercial activities are excluded from this scope and are subject to general provisions.
The duty limit of the Consumer Arbitration Committees is automatically updated every year according to the revaluation rate (YDO) announced in accordance with the Tax Procedure Law. With the Communiqué prepared on the basis of the 25.49% YDO rate determined for 2025 and published in the Official Gazette dated 23 December 2025 and numbered 33116, the duty limit was determined as 186,000 TL, effective as of 1 January 2026. While different amounts were applied for provincial and district delegations in the past, this distinction has been abolished with the current regulation and a single upper limit has been introduced.
In consumer disputes whose value is below 186,000 TL, a lawsuit cannot be filed directly with the Consumer Court. Application to the arbitral tribunal is a condition that must be exhausted before going to court. A lawsuit filed without fulfilling this condition is rejected on procedural grounds without going into the merits of the case; This means loss of both time and litigation costs for the consumer.
If the dispute value is equal to or above 186,000 TL, the arbitral tribunal is not in charge; An application cannot be made and a lawsuit must be filed directly in the Consumer Court (or in the Civil Court of First Instance where there is no such case). In calculating the monetary limit, the amount demanded by the consumer is taken into account, not the price of the good or service in dispute; Therefore, the correct legal qualification of the request and the correct amount are important in terms of directing the application to the right authority at the first stage.
How Does the Application Process Work? The consumer may direct his application to the arbitral tribunal in two different places: the tribunal in his own place of residence or the tribunal where the consumer transaction took place. This right of choice specifically aims to protect consumers who shop from another city or online. If the arbitration committee is not established in the district to be applied for, the petition is submitted to the relevant district governorship and the district governorship records the application in the Consumer Information System (TÜBİS) and forwards it to the authorized committee.
Via e-Government: Applying electronically from the Consumer Information System (TÜBİS) screen at turkiye.gov.tr is the fastest and easiest method to follow.
By written petition: A petition can be submitted to the relevant Provincial Directorate of Commerce or district governor's office by hand or by mail.
Evidence file: Attaching documents such as invoice, contract, warranty certificate, correspondence and expert/expertise report, if any, to the application is decisive for the rapid and accurate conclusion of the file.
Application is completely free and representation by a lawyer is not mandatory. The committee examines the applications in the order they are received and must make a decision within six months at the latest; In cases where the nature of the dispute requires expert examination, this period may be extended for another six months for once. After the decision is made, the committee is obliged to notify the parties in writing of its decision within ten business days in accordance with the provisions of the Notification Law.
Decisions of the Consumer Arbitration Panel are binding on the parties and are considered as decisions; There may be two different consequences against the decision: 1. Finalization and execution of the decision: If none of the parties objects within 15 days, the decision becomes final. Since the decision is a judgment, the party in whose favor the decision is made can initiate enforcement proceedings by taking the decision directly to the enforcement office, without the need to file a separate lawsuit.
2. Objection to the Consumer Court: The party who finds the decision unfair may appeal to the Consumer Court (or the Civil Court of First Instance) where the arbitral tribunal is located, within 15 days from the notification of the decision. This period is degrading; If it is missed, the right to object is completely eliminated.
The fact that the objection has been made does not automatically stop the execution of the decision; If the execution is to be stopped, an additional interim injunction must be requested from the court. The decision of the consumer court upon objection is considered final in established practice; After this stage, no appeal or appeal will be possible.
Average duration: 6 (exceptionally 12) months at the latest. Variable depending on the file; usually longer Nature of the decision Binding, judgment Final judgment (appeal/appeal may be open) Legal remedy Objection to the court within 15 days Appeal / appeal (subject to monetary limits)
A consumer buys a refrigerator from the store for 42,000 TL. The device loses its cooling function three weeks after delivery; The seller describes the malfunction as "user error" and rejects the exchange and refund request.
Since the dispute amount of 42,000 TL remains well below the 2026 limit of 186,000 TL, the only mandatory remedy that the consumer can follow is the Consumer Arbitration Committee; It is not possible to apply directly to the court. The consumer logs into TÜBİS via e-Government and applies to the committee at the place of residence; He adds the invoice, correspondence with the seller, and records showing the malfunction to his file. If the committee deems it necessary, it sends the file for expert review; The expert fee is covered by the state and is ultimately collected from the wrong party.
In the light of the documents, it is determined that the malfunction is due to manufacturing and the committee decides in favor of the consumer. The decision is notified to the parties within ten business days; If the seller does not object or make the payment within 15 days, the consumer can collect the receivable by directly pursuing the decision.
Arbitration panel review 6 months at the latest (exceptionally 6 more months) Simple files are usually finished in much less time.
Notification of the decision 10 business days from decision Notification is made in writing in accordance with the provisions of the Law.
Objection period 15 days from notification It is derogatory; It is important for address information to be up-to-date for tracking.
If the enforcement proceeding is not objected to, there is no need to file a separate lawsuit immediately since the decision is a judgment.
Is it necessary to hire a lawyer to apply to the arbitral tribunal? No, the application is so simple and free that anyone can do it on their own. However, if the legal characterization of the dispute is controversial, if the other party is likely to object, or if the file has a high amount, obtaining legal support for the correct execution of the lawsuit requirement and the proper presentation of evidence will prevent loss of rights.
Where should I apply if my dispute amount is exactly 186,000 TL? The arbitral tribunal is only responsible for disputes below the limit. If the amount is equal to or above the limit, a lawsuit must be filed directly in the Consumer Court. In files where the amount is close to the limit, it is of great importance to determine the calculation and request type correctly.
The arbitral tribunal's decision has been made but the seller does not pay, what should I do? Since the decision is a judgment, you can initiate enforcement proceedings by taking the decision directly to the enforcement office, without the need to file a separate lawsuit.
What happens if I miss the objection period? The fifteen-day objection period is derogatory. If this period is missed, the right to object is completely eliminated and the decision becomes final; Therefore, it is critical to follow the notification date correctly.
If I use the product I purchased for commercial purposes, can I apply to the arbitration committee? No. Consumer protection under Law No. 6502 applies only to transactions that do not have commercial or professional purposes. Disputes experienced by a business due to purchases made within the scope of its commercial activities are not within the scope of consumer law and are evaluated according to general provisions.
Which committee do I apply to for a product I bought online from another city? You can apply to the arbitral tribunal either in your own place of residence or in the place where the seller or consumer transaction took place; This choice is entirely yours.
Applying to the wrong authority: Applying to the arbitral tribunal for an amount above the limit or filing a lawsuit directly to the court for an amount below the limit will result in the file being rejected out of procedure and a waste of time.
Overlooking the trader-consumer distinction: Purchases made for commercial purposes are outside the scope of Law No. 6502; Failure to make this distinction will result in rejection of the application.
Missing the objection period: The 15-day period starting from the date of notification is a limitation and does not accept excuses.
Lack of evidence: Applications made without invoices, contracts and correspondence may be prolonged with the request for additional documents or may be rejected due to lack of proof.
Incorrect calculation of the demand amount: The monetary limit is evaluated according to the concrete demand amount of the consumer, not the price of the goods; Overlooking this distinction will lead to the wrong choice of authority.
The Consumer Arbitration Tribunal process, when operated correctly, is a fast and free remedy mechanism for consumers. However, stages such as correct calculation of the monetary limit, determination of the authorized committee, proper presentation of evidence and especially correct follow-up of the 15-day objection period contain technical details that may lead to loss of rights. If you are not sure whether your dispute is above or below the monetary limit, or if you need to object to the decision of an arbitral tribunal, getting professional support from a consumer law lawyer at the very beginning of the process will prevent both time and loss of rights. As Küheylan Law Firm, we provide support to our clients with our expert staff in consumer arbitration committee applications, objection processes and consumer court cases.
Important Legal Notice: The legal explanations in this guide have been prepared by Küheylan Law Firm for general information purposes based on the legislation in force as of 2026 and do not constitute legal advice. The result may vary depending on the specific circumstances of each concrete case and the current practice of the Ministry of Commerce. Since procedural and time errors in the consumer arbitration committee process may lead to irreparable loss of rights, it is strongly recommended that the process be carried out with the support of a lawyer. © 2026 Küheylan Law Firm. All rights reserved.
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