Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

Speaking at the “Trust Seal in Electronic Commerce Promotion Meeting,” hosted by Minister Ruhsar Pekcan at the Ministry of Commerce, Hisarcıklıoğlu gave an assessment of the e-commerce sector.

Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that the first 12 e-commerce sites that have qualified for a seal of trust in Turkey will receive their seals of trust today, and a safer shopping era will have started in the sector.

Hisarcıklıoğlu noted that the Ministry of Commerce has undertaken numerous developments to facilitate trade, and that the “Electronic Commerce Information System” has been established to record e-commerce, the Law on Chattel Mortgages has been established in trade transactions, and the Chattel Mortgages Registration System (TARES) has been established.

Reporting that commercial registry directorates, the company's organizations have been turned into a single point of contact, QR-coded cheques have been put into operation, Hisarcıklıoğlu noted that Status Registration System (HKS) Mobile Application, licensed warehouse system and product specialized commodity exchange have been launched.

Hisarcıklıoğlu underlined that the implementation of the trust seal is also a step to facilitate e-commerce, “I would also like to thank our Ministry for trusting our Union as the only trust seal provider in Turkey.”

Hisarcıklıoğlu pointed out that digitalization now exists in all areas of life, and that e-commerce is one of the most important driving forces of this digital revolution and is an innovation that has changed the lives of billions of consumers and millions of businesses.

Stating that e-commerce brings together consumers with new products and sellers with new customers, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “Consumers have easy access to a large number of products. As e-commerce grows, the turnover of businesses increases, the welfare of consumers increases. So, both the consumer and the manufacturer win. But Turkey is still at the beginning of the road in e-commerce. In 2019, only 34% of the people in our country purchased products or services online. In EU countries, the rate is over 70%. The share of e-commerce in total retail is 5.3% in Turkey. In the EU, the rate is on average above 9% and continues to increase rapidly. Innovative practices are needed for Turkey to close the gap with developed countries in the size of e-commerce. This trust seal will reduce the lack of confidence in consumers who are afraid to shop online. We see negative news about e-commerce in the newspapers all the time. This negative news always stays in people's minds, it can deter those who want to engage e-commerce. That's what we're trying to change with the trust seal app.”

- “Not everyone will be able to use this stamp”

Hisarcıklıoğlu, explaining the difference of e-commerce sites with seals of trust, said “The presence of the stamp indicates that the site has passed the TOBB audit. In this context, we check whether the e-commerce site carries the conditions published in the communiqué of our Ministry of Commerce. We focus on two basic elements. First, 'Does the technical infrastructure of the site have minimum security requirements?', secondly, 'Are the business processes of the site designed in accordance with the laws listed in the communiqué?' If the answer to both questions is 'yes', we allocate a seal of trust. We're checking the authenticity of the seal remotely.”

Hisarcıklıoğlu underlined that when the consumer clicks on the seal, the trust seal will be directed to the verification page on the website, preventing counterfeiting.

Hisarcıklıoğlu, explaining that the existence of this seal does not mean that TOBB is a guarantor to the e-commerce site and that if there is a disagreement between the parties, the arbitrative authority is consumer arbitration committees or courts, “TOBB's task is to bring complaints about sites with trust stamps to their counterparts. The complaint system we have created is also open to our ministry. Consumers can shop more securely on trust-stamped e-commerce sites and can be confident that the problems they face reach their interlocutors and that their personal data is protected by international security standards.”

Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu pointing out companies which have a seal of trust in e-commerce, said, “ePttAVM, our country's national cargo company e-commerce initiative. It's the flagship of PTT's digital transformation. Farmasi is a pharmaceutical and cosmetics company founded in 1950 and succeeded in going digital. Gittigidiyor.com is an initiative established in Turkey and later acquired by eBay, one of the world's largest e-commerce companies. Pegasus Airlines is one of Turkey's leading, revolutionary airlines. Sahibinden.com is one of Turkey's largest advertising sites, which has more than 40 million visitors. Modanisa is an initiative that ranks among the Financial Times' 25 most successful startups in the Middle East. Sigortam.net is a pioneer company that digitizes insurance. Beko and Arçelik are the pride of our country consumer goods manufacturers. They sell to their dealers through the e-commerce system they have established and strengthen the dealership system. Migros Virtual Market is a national grocery chain that started selling consumer goods over the Internet in 1997. Sarar is one of our important brands that fly our flag abroad. Sefamerve is a clothing retailer that sells 7.5 million products annually to 70 countries. I congratulate them and wish them continued success.”