Transshipment of Counterfeit Goods through Turkey

Turkey was historically an important artery of the Silk and Spice Route, and continues to be a strategic crossroads between the European Union (EU) and Middle Eastern countries. Because of its geopolitical position, Turkey has always been an important hub for international land, sea or air transportation. Considering that Turkey is the eastern neighbor of the EU and many goods pass through Turkey before entering Europe, Turkish customs carry significant importance..

Even though goods have been transported to their final destination through Turkish customs for many years, the Turkish Custom Authority's responsibility over goods in transit was highly debated until the amendment made in Decree Law Regarding the Protection of Trademarks (no: 556). As the Decree Law no: 556 did not contain any regulation regarding this subject , it was up to the judge's own discretion to determine whether the counterfeit goods confiscated in transit constituted trademark infringement