In a move that came days after the ban of the "Instagram" application, Turkey has imposed new restrictions on online purchases, sparking anger among many social media influencers, especially since the new restrictions pertain to the quantity and value of purchases. Why did the Turkish authorities resort to this decision?
According to the decision published in the official gazette and circulated on social media, Turkish customs stipulated yesterday that the value of personal purchases allowed over the internet for each individual should not exceed 30 euros for non-commercial goods and 1500 euros for medical items such as medicines. A tax of 30% is imposed on goods imported from a European country and 60% for those imported from elsewhere, in addition to another tax that can reach up to 20% depending on the type and quantity of imported goods.
Regarding this, economic expert and analyst, Khairy Kuzanoglu, emphasized to "Al Arabiya.net" that "this new decision appears to cut the path to intensive online shopping from Chinese platforms like Temu, for example." He added, "The imported items are mostly electronic goods, in my opinion, but this new decision will lead to a strong backlash from the middle classes, especially among young professionals," considering that such products are not expensive and meet the needs of different classes.
He continued, "The main and prominent reason that prompted the authorities to make this decision is the increase in the proportion of consumer goods imported from abroad during the period from January to June of this year." Meanwhile, Turkish influencers on social media expressed their rejection of this decision, arguing that setting a ceiling for online shopping limits their ability to purchase imported goods, especially electronic devices.
Before the issuance of this decision, numbered 32624 and published in the official gazette yesterday, individuals could shop online with a limit of 150 euros, but this has been reduced to 30. It is noteworthy that this controversial decision will take effect within two weeks from the date of its publication in the official gazette. It is likely to lead to social disturbances, especially given the high demand for online shopping in Turkey, according to sources from "Al Arabiya.net."
The intention of Turkish customs with this decision is to promote local online shopping, meaning encouraging the purchase of goods manufactured in Turkey or those sold through local applications, as explained by an informed Turkish source to "Al Arabiya.net." This decision comes less than a week after Turkish authorities banned the Instagram app in the country due to objections over the platform deleting posts mourning the leader of the "Hamas" movement, Ismail, who was killed on July 31 in the Iranian capital, Tehran.
