Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

Speaking at the meeting he attended via video conference system, the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) President Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu noted that the number of companies to have received “trust seal” had reached 18, “I call on our citizens to choose our sites which have received a seal of trust.”

Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that the Ministry of Commerce has made numerous developments for the continuation of trade during the Covid-19 outbreak, and that within this scope, electronic trade information system was established to record e-commerce and nearly 20,000 companies were registered. Hisarcıklıoğlu, touching on the “e-Commerce Stands with SMEs” campaign launched last month, reported that 28 companies have joined in the campaign with advantageous packages for SMEs.

Pointing out that the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated digital transformation, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “Although the rate of online shopping of internet users in our country is increasing day by day, it is well behind the world average. The biggest obstacle to online shopping is a lack of trust. Consumers don't want to share their credit card information and personal data. Unfortunately, sites not prepared in accordance with the legal framework also fuel these problems. In order to prevent this trust issue, the seal of trust in e-commerce entered our lives with the efforts of our Minister of Commerce.”

- “We are launching our campaign with the slogan, ‘peace of mind’”

Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that, under the auspices of the Ministry of Commerce, they started to issue trust seal in e-commerce sites, and that companies which received this seal, have their technical infrastructure designed in accordance with the legislation issued by the Ministry and regularly protect customer data against possible internet piracy with infiltration tests. Hisarcıklıoğlu, noted:

“By checking more than 100 criteria, e-commerce sites which meet the relevant requirements receive a 'trust seal' at the end of the process and allow them to place the ‘TR-GO’ logo on their website. With our complaint line established within our Union, we act as a bridge between our consumers and e-commerce sites which have earned the seal of trust. In January, with a ceremony hosted by Our Minister of Commerce Pekcan, we presented the first 12 e-commerce sites which qualified with their seals of trust. Today, the number has increased to 18, with our 6 additional companies which have received their seals. We start our campaign with the slogan 'Peace of Mind' and we say to our consumers that you can shop from these sites with peace of mind. I urge our citizens to choose the sites which have the seal of trust.”

- Minister of Commerce Ruhsar Pekcan

Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan said that the importance of e-commerce was seen all over the world during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Pekcan stated that e-Commerce is a strategic activity area for the country's economies with the effect of eliminating geographical boundaries, uninterrupted service delivery, market entry and business costs, and said that e-commerce offers important opportunities in supporting SMEs, tradesmen and producer associations in some branches of activity.

Minister Pekcan, said: “The expansion of e-Commerce, besides its benefits, also has a potential risk. Just like in conventional trade, the contract terms between the parties must be processed well, all issues, from the satisfactory delivery of goods, delivery forms and payment conditions, should be defined in advance in a way that pleases both sides so that there is no eventual disagreement.”

Pekcan, pointing out that the trust seal system is very important in this framework, said that the rights of consumers should be protected and the necessary infrastructure should be provided to prevent misinformation.

Noting that the protection of personal data transferred to the internet is also an important security issue, Pekcan said that “e-Commerce should ensure that the parties should be regulated, audited and secure without compromising the freedom of contract and market effectiveness.”

Pekcan stated that Turkey is in an ambitious and developmental position in the field of e-commerce, and explained that the country has advantages because of its young, dynamic and communication technology oriented population and geo-strategic position.

- “Turkey is becoming an important actor in the global e-commerce market”

Pointing out that Turkey's ability to be an important and decisive actor in the global e-commerce market is increasing day by day and the importance of maintaining e-commerce with a strong, safe infrastructure, Pekcan said, “In this context, we have created a trust seal system in e-commerce in order to meet expectations on security, privacy and quality of service, to address concerns and to establish the reliability of e-commerce sites.”

In this context, recalling that they authorized TOBB as a “trust seal provider”, Pekcan said that e-commerce sites which want to join the system can apply on a voluntary basis through www.guvendamgasi.org.tr

Pekcan stated that the applications will be evaluated within the framework of the relevant legislation, and that e-commerce sites determined to meet the criteria allocated a seal of trust.

Noting that e-commerce sites with trust seals will behave in accordance with the relevant legislation on consumer protection, personal data, payment systems and will be audited by a reliable authority, Pekcan said:

“These sites will use certificates that allow information to be viewed only by the website and the relevant user, and vulnerabilities will be identified through periodic tests. Recipients will be able to obtain information about their order and effectively evaluate requests and complaints. Many details about the properties of the goods, such as inventory information, content, measurements, will be included on the site. It will also provide the buyer with information about the status of their order and cargo tracking facilities.”

- “We will continue promotional activities”

Pekcan, all businesses to take this seal and to raise awareness of citizens will continue their promotional activities with TOBB, “The trust seal system will allow our small businesses, especially e-commerce, to create a perception of trust and introduce themselves.” he said.

Reminiscent of the digitization steps taken by the ministry during the epidemic and before, Pekcan gave information about the support they provide to virtual fair and trade delegation applications.

Pekcan, Turkey's digital economy in the field of steps to accelerate, emphasizing that they will continue to produce projects on this issue, said they are open to any contributions and suggestions that can be made on this issue.

- “We will make the most of the opportunities brought by e-Commerce”

Calling on e-Commerce sites, Pekcan said, “Together with all our stakeholders, industry actors and trade people, we will make the best use of the opportunities brought by e-commerce and improve our production and export. I invite all our e-commerce sites to continue their activities by applying for trust seals in line with our country's quality priorities in e-commerce.”

Pekcan thanked the Ministry and TOBB employees who contributed to the creation and implementation of the trust seal mechanism in e-commerce.

- Other speakers

GittiGidiyor General Manager and TOBB E-Commerce Council Chairman Öget Kantarcı said, “we are accelerating our work together to promote the trust seal which our Ministry of Commerce and TOBB's valuable contributions have brought about. Small and medium-sized e-commerce platforms, which are not particularly recognized by the consumer, will also have the opportunity to develop more in this chain. As GittiGidiyor, we are very pleased to be one of the first companies to receive the Trust Seal and contribute to the process.”

Murat Emirdağ, CEO Hepsiburada, stated that electronic commerce has become a supporter of the retail sector, acting as one of the locomotive sectors in Turkey, “As a platform which always treats legislation appropriately, we care about providing uninterrupted service, and we recommend that consumers make their preferences in favor of companies that always have a trust seal.”

Modanisa General Manager and Vice President of the TOBB e-Commerce Council Sami Güzel said that the Trust Seal establishes reliable online shopping as well as contributes to exports through the integration of European Union umbrella institutions. Noting that Turkey markets ready-to-wear to the world in 6 languages on 5 continents, Güzel is proud to carry the seal of trust, “We are proud to be worthy of the Trust Seal us as a sign of our maximum effort to ensure customer privacy and security. We would like to thank our Minister, Ministry of Commerce and TOBB for their valuable work and contributions to the sector and exports.”

Sahibinden.com CEO and TOBB E-Commerce Council Member Burak Ertaş said, “We have witnessed the intensive e-commerce uses of consumers during this period, and we think that e-commerce will continue to grow in a healthy way in the coming period as well. We are happy to be part of this project, which brings together companies which offer a safe shopping experience in order to raise awareness of consumers.”

Pegasus General Manager Mehmet Nane, stated that as Pegasus Airlines, “We are proud and happy to be one of the first companies to receive the 'Trust Seal' with our mobile applications and e-commerce site flypgs.com, which we have continuously developed in line with our Digital Airline rhetoric.”

Trendyol Board Member and TOBB E-Commerce Council Member Ozan Acar also expressed gratitude to Minister Pekcan and TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu for their support of the sector, “Our Minister made our efforts to keep the wheels of the economy turning during the pandemic visible. Our President promoted e-commerce at every opportunity. E-commerce is growing the registered part of the economy, increasing the consumer's well-being and most importantly doing so in an employment-friendly way. We know that the trust seal has made significant contributions to the growth of e-commerce and the growth of e-commerce contributes significantly to the development of the Turkish economy. The trust seal is a step that will increase the consumer's confidence in e-commerce and the brand owner's self-confidence. As Trendyol, we are ready to work with our Ministry and our Union to ensure that the seal of trust is an industry standard.”

Sefamerve Chairman and TOBB E-Commerce Council Member Mehmet Metin Okur said, “Our relations with our customers is based on mutual trust. Customer confidence and intimacy are more important in our industry than anything else. At a time when the world is becoming digital and a concept that is difficult to measure as trust, we are proud to be one of the first companies to use the TRGO logo to contribute to e-commerce. Together with our customers, we have become stronger in the journey of becoming a brand worth its value with the TRGO seal. According to our measurements, our overseas customers find it worth paying up to 25% more fees than the products of other countries we compete with when they have ‘Turkish Goods’ for the same product. The TRGO seal will become more effective as it becomes more common and will contribute to the e-export targets of both Sefamerve and our country.”

Arçelik Director Erhan Akdoğan also expressed that they first shared the Güven Seal promotional video via the dealer, sales teams and the organization-wide channel Arçelik Retail TV. “Getting the support of the Ministry and TOBB has created great excitement and satisfaction in the entire organization,” Akdoğan said.

Mustafa Bartın, Deputy General Manager of E-Commerce at Migros Ticaret A.Ş. and member of the TOBB Turkey E-commerce Council, said, “As Migros, we are one of the first companies in Turkey to receive the Trust Seal certificate, as well as being the most widespread online food platform in Turkey. The trust seal system created in cooperation with the Ministry of Commerce and TOBB is a strong step in this field in order to establish a trust in e-commerce. Especially in this period we are in, we have seen once again how critical confidence in e-commerce is. With Migros Virtual Market, Macro online, Tazedirekt and Migros Hemen, we have been assurance for our customers. Although our online sales have increased 4-fold and our over-65 customers increased 3-fold, thanks to our strong ecosystem, logistics infrastructure and strong cooperation with our manufacturers and with 5,000 additional jobs, we have met this demand without interruption. We know trust is the lifeblood of e-commerce. In terms of SMEs, online media is sure to be an important growth area. As Migros, with our e-commerce power, we will continue to be the guarantee of both SMEs, consumers and the economy.”

Sedat Anak, General Manager of Avansas and Avansaspro, said, “This initiative, which was put forward in cooperation with our Ministry of Commerce and TOBB, was a breakthrough that reinforced the confidence element of our business. We know very well how important consumer confidence is in the rapidly e-commerce world. Our research says 32% of people don't think it's safe to shop online. The responsibility of the leading E-commerce brands of the sector in this meeting, like us, is to provide this trust. In our May survey, 7% of our new customers said they used e-commerce for the first time. We believe that we should not embarrass those who try such internet shopping for the first time, we should instill trust.”

N11 Board Member and the TOBB E-Commerce Council Member Izi Adato said, “The ‘Trust Seal,’ which was brought to life with the initiative of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey and our Ministry, represents trust in the sector and e-commerce for us. The sensitivity of vendor and customer information represents a quality and peaceful shopping experience and a business understanding that the hygiene rules required by the new world are also taken seriously. as n11.com, we attach great importance to our 180,000 registered partners and more than 20 million members to serve within the framework of this understanding, and to announce this trust in any environment that our new symbol will be instilled in every environment.”

EPttavm, Farmasi, sigortam.net, Sarar and Ebebek companies participating in the campaign stated that they will also be contributing to the campaign.