Minister of Trade Ömer Bolat stated that in the context of combating price gouging, inspections were carried out on 340 thousand companies in 9 and a half months, and penalties were imposed on those who did not comply with the rules. Minister Bolat emphasized that the penalties imposed on businesses are not forgiven. Minister of Trade Ömer Bolat made statements on the agenda in a live broadcast on A Haber. Speaking about deceptive advertisements that deceive consumers, Minister Bolat said, “The Advertising Board deals with deceptive advertisements. By 2024, the Advertising Board identified deceptive advertising findings in 1542 files, imposing 206 million Turkish lira in administrative fines and access bans to advertisements. There is talk of increasing penalties by 10 times.”
COMBATING PRICE GOUGING: PENALTIES NOT AMNESTIED
Regarding price gouging, Bolat stated, “Inspections were carried out on 340 thousand companies in 9 and a half months against price gouging. Penalties are imposed on those who do not comply with the rules. After these penalties are imposed, they are transferred to the Ministry of Treasury and Finance, and these fines are collected. There is a 25% discount for upfront payments. In our domestic trade and consumer protection penalties, if a settlement is reached, a settlement discount can be applied, but the penalties are not forgiven.”