In Türkiye, when consumers encounter disputes with businesses, they can seek resolution through the Consumer Arbitration Board, Tüketici Hakem Heyeti. This legal process provides a means for consumers to assert their rights and achieve fair outcomes without necessarily going to court. In this guide, we walk you through the steps of applying to the Consumer Arbitration Board, offering valuable insights into the process.
Quick Answer: Consumer disputes in Türkiye valued below 186,000 Turkish Lira, the applicable threshold for 2026, must be brought to the Consumer Arbitration Board before any court action is possible; the Board's jurisdiction is mandatory below this figure, and disputes at or above it must go directly to the Consumer Court instead, generally after mandatory mediation. Applications can be filed in person, by mail, through a representative, or electronically through e-Devlet using the Consumer Information System, TÜBİS, and boards generally decide within six months, extendable by up to three more. A board decision can be appealed to the Consumer Court, not back to the Board itself, within 15 days of notification.
Under Article 68 of the Law on the Protection of Consumers, Law No. 6502, the Consumer Arbitration Board only has authority over disputes below a monetary threshold that is revised annually in line with Türkiye's official revaluation rate. For 2026, this threshold is 186,000 Turkish Lira, an increase from the 2025 figure of 149,000 Turkish Lira. This threshold is not a minor technical detail: it determines which forum has jurisdiction at all. Where the dispute value falls below 186,000 Turkish Lira, applying to the Board is mandatory, and a consumer who instead files directly with the Consumer Court will generally have that case dismissed on procedural grounds for failing to satisfy this precondition to litigation. Where the dispute value is at or above 186,000 Turkish Lira, the Board has no jurisdiction at all, and the consumer must instead pursue the claim through mandatory mediation and, where that does not resolve the matter, the Consumer Court directly. For disputes that ultimately require a court, it helps to understand the jurisdiction of consumer courts in Turkey before deciding how to proceed.
Historically, separate, lower thresholds applied to district level, ilçe, boards compared with provincial, il, boards. This distinction has since been eliminated, and a single unified threshold now applies regardless of whether the application is filed with a district or provincial board, with the correct board determined instead by location rather than by a separate value tier.
Because the threshold is revised annually based on Türkiye's official revaluation rate, a figure that was accurate even a year earlier can materially understate or overstate a consumer's options. The table below shows how significantly this figure has moved in recent years, illustrating why the current year's published threshold, rather than a remembered or previously cited figure, should always be confirmed before deciding where to file.
| Year | Board Jurisdiction Threshold |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 104,000 TL |
| 2025 | 149,000 TL |
| 2026 | 186,000 TL |
Filing in the wrong forum is not a minor administrative inconvenience. A consumer who applies to the Board with a dispute valued at or above the current threshold will typically have the application rejected for lack of jurisdiction, losing time that could have been spent on the mediation and court process the claim actually requires. Conversely, a consumer who skips the Board and files directly with the Consumer Court for a dispute that falls below the threshold will generally have that case dismissed for failing to satisfy the mandatory precondition to litigation, again losing time and, depending on the circumstances, potentially running into a limitation period in the meantime. Confirming the current threshold, and calculating the dispute value accurately including any relevant currency conversion, is therefore one of the first and most consequential steps in the entire process.
You can apply to the Consumer Arbitration Board either in person, through legal representation, via postal mail, or electronically through the e-Government portal using the Consumer Information System, TÜBİS. Verbal applications are not accepted.
Your application must include a written petition that outlines the dispute, along with any relevant supporting documents. You can use the application form available on the Ministry of Trade's website for this purpose.
Your application should include the following information:
Supporting documentation should be attached wherever available, including the original sales receipt or invoice, any written contract, correspondence with the seller or service provider about the dispute, and photographs or other evidence of the defect or deficiency being complained of. A well documented file at the outset reduces the likelihood that the board will need to request additional information later, which can otherwise add the 30 day grace period described in section 4 to the overall timeline.
You should apply to the Consumer Arbitration Board located in the area where either the consumer resides or where the disputed transaction took place. Provincial boards cover disputes within provincial boundaries, while district boards handle disputes within district limits, both subject to the same 186,000 Turkish Lira threshold described in section 1. In areas without a designated consumer arbitration board, the Ministry designates a relevant board for the district.
Where a consumer has a genuine choice, for example because they purchased a product while travelling in a different province from where they live, filing at the board closest to their place of residence is often the more practical option, since it simplifies attending any hearing the board schedules and reduces the administrative burden of managing correspondence from a distant office. Where the transaction itself took place in a location with a more specialised or higher volume board, however, that board may have more directly relevant experience with the type of dispute involved, which can be a relevant consideration for more technical or unusual claims.
In areas without a dedicated consumer arbitration board, personnel at the relevant district governor's office, kaymakamlık, handle applications and register them in the TÜBİS system on the applicant's behalf.
Consumer arbitration boards conduct their reviews based on the submitted documentation. If deemed necessary, they may also call upon the parties involved and expert witnesses.
Each board is composed of five members representing a mix of interests: a chairman, along with representatives of the local bar association, the municipality, the chamber of commerce or relevant trade organisation, and a consumer organisation. This composition is intended to ensure that decisions reflect both legal and commercial realities rather than favouring either consumers or businesses as a matter of institutional bias.
The boards have the authority to request any information or documents related to the dispute from the parties, as well as from relevant individuals, institutions, and organisations. A grace period of up to 30 days is provided for the submission of requested information and documents, starting from the date of notification. If requested and approved by the board's chairman, this grace period may be extended. Failure to submit requested information and documents within the specified timeframe may result in a decision based on the available information.
In cases requiring specialised or technical knowledge, the chairman of the consumer arbitration board may appoint an expert witness upon the request of either party or at their own discretion. The period for preparing the expert's report cannot exceed 15 working days from the date of the expert's appointment. Upon the expert's request, this period may be extended once, for a further period not exceeding 15 working days.
Consumer arbitration boards aim to review and decide applications within six months of the application date, with the possibility of extending this period by up to an additional three months depending on the nature of the case. If both parties request an expedited review and the chairman approves, the application may be prioritised.
Decisions made by consumer arbitration boards are legally binding on the parties involved. If a decision is not implemented voluntarily, the interested party can initiate the enforcement process through the relevant enforcement office, following the procedures set out in the Execution and Bankruptcy Law No. 2004. A finalised board decision has the legal standing of an enforcement document, ilam niteliğinde belge, which streamlines this process considerably compared with pursuing enforcement based on an unresolved private dispute, since the enforcement office does not need to re-examine the merits of the underlying dispute before proceeding.
In practice, this means a consumer who obtains a favourable, unappealed board decision, and whose counterparty still fails to pay or perform, can move directly to enforcement proceedings without needing to file a fresh lawsuit to establish the underlying debt. This is one of the more significant practical advantages of the Board process compared with an ordinary civil claim, where a judgment typically has to be obtained before enforcement can begin.
Parties have the right to appeal a consumer arbitration board decision within 15 days of receiving notification. This appeal is not filed with the arbitration board itself; it is filed with the Consumer Court, or, in locations without a dedicated consumer court, with the Civil Court of First Instance acting in that capacity. Please note that a new application cannot be submitted to the same consumer arbitration board for the same dispute once a decision has been reached; the only avenue for challenging an unfavourable decision is the court appeal described here.
During this appeal process, consumers are exempt from paying judicial fees under Law No. 492 on Judicial Fees. However, in accordance with Law No. 6100 on Civil Procedure, an advance payment covering potential costs may still be required. The decision rendered by the consumer court on the appeal is final.
You can monitor the status of your application to the Consumer Arbitration Board through the e-Government portal using the TÜBİS system, without needing to contact the board directly for a status update.
If the dispute is resolved privately before the consumer arbitration board issues a decision, both parties should submit documents demonstrating the resolution to the board. This ensures the board is aware of the situation and can close the case accordingly, rather than continuing to process an application the parties have already resolved between themselves.
Settling directly with the business can be worth pursuing even after an application has been filed, since the board process, while faster and less expensive than full litigation, still takes time to reach a decision. A business facing a well documented application may prefer to resolve the matter directly rather than wait for a board decision that is likely to go against it, and consumers should not assume that filing forecloses a faster, negotiated resolution reached in parallel.
186,000 Turkish Lira. Disputes below this value must go to the Board before any court action; disputes at or above it fall outside the Board's jurisdiction entirely.
The Consumer Arbitration Board has no jurisdiction, and the claim must instead proceed through mandatory mediation and, if unresolved, the Consumer Court directly.
No. Applying to the Board is mandatory for disputes below the threshold, and a court case filed without first going through the Board will generally be dismissed on procedural grounds.
In person, through legal representation, by postal mail, or electronically through e-Devlet using the TÜBİS system. Verbal applications are not accepted.
No, applying to the Board is free of charge for consumers.
Generally up to six months from the application date, extendable by up to a further three months depending on the complexity of the case.
Yes, within 15 days of notification, but the appeal is filed with the Consumer Court, not with the arbitration board itself, and the Board cannot be asked to reconsider its own decision.
Consumers are generally exempt from judicial fees on this type of appeal, though an advance payment covering potential costs may still be required under the Civil Procedure Law.
The decision is legally binding, and the interested party can pursue enforcement through the relevant enforcement office under the Execution and Bankruptcy Law, since a finalised decision carries the standing of an enforcement document.
No. The previous split between district and provincial board thresholds has been eliminated, and a single unified threshold now applies regardless of which board handles the case.
Applications can be submitted to the relevant district governor's office, kaymakamlık, which registers them in the TÜBİS system on your behalf.
Yes, through the e-Government portal using the TÜBİS, Consumer Information System, which shows the current status of your application without needing to contact the board directly.
Each board has five members: a chairman, and representatives of the local bar association, the municipality, the relevant chamber of commerce or trade organisation, and a consumer organisation, reflecting a mix of legal and commercial perspectives.
No. A finalised, unappealed Board decision carries the legal standing of an enforcement document, so the consumer can proceed directly to enforcement through the relevant office without first obtaining a separate court judgment.
Understanding the Consumer Arbitration Board process, and in particular the monetary threshold that determines whether the Board or the Consumer Court has jurisdiction over a given dispute, is essential for consumers seeking a fair and efficient resolution with businesses in Türkiye. Because this threshold changes every year, and because filing in the wrong forum can cost a consumer valuable time through a procedural dismissal, confirming the current figure before filing is not an optional precaution but a necessary first step. This process is closely tied to your broader consumer rights in online shopping in Türkiye, since online purchase disputes are among the most common matters brought before these boards, and the same threshold and procedural rules apply equally whether the underlying purchase happened in a physical store or online. By following the steps outlined here and confirming the current threshold before filing, consumers can navigate this process effectively and assert their rights with confidence.
If you require legal guidance or representation throughout this process, our team at Bayraktar Attorneys is here to assist you.
