Protection of the consumer in Turkey is guaranteed by the Constitution. Article 172 of the Constitution stipulates that “the State takes measures to protect and inform consumers and encourages their initiatives to protect themselves”. Thus, chambers, associations, foundations and other professional and voluntary organizations started to take part in the activities for the protection of consumer rights after 1982. The first consumer association was established in 1986 by housewives and journalists. It was called the Association to Protect All Consumers. The Association for Consumer Rights and TÜKODER were set up in 1992. In addition to these developments, the on-going studies for protecting the consumers were centralized with the establishment of the Directorate General of Protection of Consumers and Competition as an integral part of the Ministry of Industry and Trade in 1993 and consequently faster steps had been taken on the path to enhance consumers’ rights. The enactment of Law No. 4077 for the Protection of the Consumer on September 8, 1995 was a turning point in this regard. This law was prepared in accordance with a proconsumer approach and consumer protection policies of the EU and also took into consideration the problems of the Turkish consumers. This law also incorporated a number of laws, statutes, directives and regulations concerning the protection of the consumer under a single text which amounted to a framework code.

this regard. This law encompassed a myriad of issues from defected goods to consumer loans and from sales in installments to after sales services. The Law No. 4077 also introduced new institutions such as consumer courts, Arbitration Council for Consumer Problems and Council of Consumers to the Turkish legal system and taught the Turkish consumers their rights as well as the ways and means to exercise these rights.