Fake, forged, counterfeit, bogus – sahte/kalp
Kalp ara – counterfeit money

Turkey’s counterfeit market value amounts to $388 million (source : Havocscope Global Market Indexes) and the 2007 Global Software Piracy Study revealed a piracy rate of 65%, equalling a loss to the software industry of $365 million.

Counterfeiting is widespread in Turkey. Counterfeit versions of CDs, DVDs, software, textiles, cosmetics, jewellery, pharmaceuticals, chemical products and food can be found in most major cities. Counterfeiting of banknotes is also rife. In neighbouring Greece, it has been reported that counterfeit pesticides have made their way over the border from Turkey. Many counterfeit products are imported from the Far East and Turkey’s problems are significant enough to cause foreign investors to hesitate about entering the Turkish market. They are also significant enough to be a contributing factor in keeping Turkey out of the European Union. The following quote succinctly summarises the situation on your average Turkish street: “And it wasn't just the bills that are fake. I was offered counterfeit DVDs the moment I left my hotel. The Levi's on the streets were obviously copies. Fake CDs are everywhere. Perhaps it won't be Islam or human rights that ultimately prohibit Turkey from joining the EU club. Perhaps it will be big business unhappy with the skills of Turkey's counterfeiters...”

To put things somewhat in perspective, statistics published on 19 May 2008 by the European Commission relating to counterfeiting and piracy showed China to be the source of 60% of counterfeit goods in 2007, while Turkey was responsible for a mere 4.92%, but that still puts it in second place followed by India with 2.7% and Georgia with 2.51%. In the category “Foodstuff and Beverages”, Turkey was the main offender, in this case followed by China. But it also ranked high in the “Cosmetics, Personal Care Products” category and in “Sportswear”, “Clothing” and “Clothing Accessories” as well. A report like this, coming as it does directly from the European Commission, does not bode well for Turkey’s future inclusion in the EU. Neither do news stories such as 20 people being killed after consuming counterfeit liquor, as happened back in 2005 (see below for link).

Action against counterfeiters
Turkey is currently an undeniable counterfeiting hotbed and this flourishing industry is impeding the progress of the country within the global forum, and threatening the health and welfare of its citizens and visitors.

Back in 2001, the Chairman of the Registered Trademark Association (Tescilli Markalar Dernegi, or TMD), a pressure group set up to tackle Turkey’s problems with the importation and production of counterfeit products, issued a strong warning that unless concerted action was taken against the $300 to $500 million market for fake products that existed at that time, it would be impossible for the manufacturers of the genuine items to sell their goods in the country. Turkey is faced with numerous conditions for joining the EU, including significantly reducing the countries counterfeit trade within a limited timeframe, so what is the country doing to achieve this?

Turkey is painfully aware that, if the country is to stand any chance of joining the EU in the future, it needs to adhere to international and EU legislation regarding counterfeiting. Through the Customs Union, the Turkish Government works in close contact with the EU on reviewing its counterfeiting legislation and a document detailing this was produced back in 2006. Click here to view that document.

There is great focus on training and educative measures to further enhance the abilities of Turkish customs officials involved in uncovering and assessing potential counterfeit issues.

With regards to preventing Euro counterfeiting, in August 2005 Turkey established the Counterfeit Monitoring System under the mandate of the Central Bank of Turkey and, under the Turkish Criminal Code, counterfeiters and forgers of any currency face stiff fines and long term imprisonment.

A good example of one Turkish initiative to counteract the counterfeiters is the Istanbul-based organization Istanbul International Investigation, which specialises in civil and criminal counterfeiting cases. Established in 1995, it was one of the first organizations in Turkey to specialise in this area

An example of brand protection technology that is being applied in Turkey can be found in ProdoSafe, which markets security solutions to the Turkish government and its regional municipalities. ProdoSafe focuses on vital records, official documents, brand protection and ticketing. Commenting on an agreement that was signed between Document Security Systems and ProdoSafe back in 2006, Patrick White, Chairman and CEO of DSS said “Turkey has been plagued by forgery and counterfeiting in the area of consumer goods, vital records, personal identification documents and government revenue documents, such as tax stamps and lottery tickets. Our partnership with ProdoSafe puts us on the ground floor of tremendous opportunity in a country that recognizes document and packaging security technologies are vital to a stable growing economic system, as well as an improved quality of life for its citizens.”

In late 2007 the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Turkey (IEIS) and the Turkish Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (TISD)  produced a European Commission Consultation position paper entitled The Future of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use in Europe highlighting the need for taking further steps to secure the integrity of the supply chain in the future. It goes on to suggest the implementation of a legitimate, reliable Internet pharmacy system and enforcement with adequate sanctions and punishment of pharmaceutical crimes. The current legal framework is fairly strong, rendering pharmacists liable for handling fake or substandard drugs even if they do so unintentionally. The issue in Turkey is so serious that it could result in criminal prosecution. In the European Commission counterfeit and piracy report mentioned above, Turkey ranks high as one of the main sources in the category ‘medicines’, so words need to be converted into more extreme action and the flow of counterfeit medicines both into and out of the country needs to be stemmed.

As mentioned previously, there is acute awareness in Turkey, amongst government officials and professionals alike, that significant action needs to be taken against the counterfeiters. The carrot of EU membership is being waved so the incentive is there but it would appear the knowledge and understanding of the counterfeiting problem in Turkey needs to be filtered down from the officials and professionals to the real people on the street. Significant public awareness and anti-counterfeiting campaigns appear to be lacking and Turkey might need to take more of a grass roots approach if it is really to get to grips with the counterfeiters.

Products to look out for
Counterfeit food and beverages
Turkey has some excellent food, and as a tourist or business visitor you will taste a fusion of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. Unfortunately, all statistics point to Turkey’s high food and beverage counterfeit rating. A couple of shocking incidents involving consumption of counterfeit alcohol have highlighted the seriousness of this problem in Turkey.

In 2002 in the Aegean resort of Kusadasi, counterfeit alcohol was cited as the possible cause of death of a British tourist after the autopsy revealed toxic methanol in the bloodstream. An official from the Prosecutors Office in Kusadasi said that they believed the tourist, who was female, suffered blood poisoning after drinking a cocktail that contained counterfeit Malibu. Click here to read the BASCAP case study database regarding this story.

In 2005 around 23 people in Istanbul died after consuming counterfeit raki containing lethal levels of methyl alcohol. Raki is a popular Turkish aniseed drink. The authorities revealed that counterfeiters had stolen 500,000 genuine “Yeni Raki” brand labels that included the tax hologram and placed the labels on the counterfeit bottles, making it almost impossible to tell the genuine and counterfeit raki apart.

Remember that fake food and beverage is a big problem here. Be on your guard when buying branded food; check that the packaging looks real and not worn – sometimes old packaging from the genuine brand is reused and filled with the fake product. Apply the same scrupulous methods when buying bottles of alcohol and drinks from bars. Don’t buy alcohol from street vendors.

Counterfeit drugs
As highlighted above, Turkey has a distinct problem with counterfeit drugs and all travellers to the country should be aware and on their guard when making drug purchases. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention offers the following information regarding purchase of antimalarials ‘You should purchase your antimalarial drugs before travel. Drugs purchased overseas may not be manufactured according to United States standards and may not be effective. They also may be dangerous, contain counterfeit medications or contaminants, or be combinations of drugs that are not safe to use’. Prophylaxis with chloroquine is recommended for the provinces of Adana, Adryaman, Batman, Bingol, Bitlis, Diyarbakar, Elazig, Gaziantep, Hakkari, Hatay, Icel, Kahraman Maras, Kilis, Mardin, Mus, Osmaniyeh, Sanliurfa, Siirt, Sirnak, and Van, chiefly in the south and south-eastern parts of the country.

Counterfeit designer goods
Counterfeit clothing from Turkey finds its way right around the world and has led to international collaboration between police forces. For example, back in 2003 when Northern Ireland police and their counterparts in the Republic of Ireland provided information that helped smash an illegal racket in Turkey producing fake Manchester United and Liverpool tops.

Fake branded goods are widely available in markets and high street shops. Couture clothing, luxury watches, fragrances and accessories are all on offer. There are different levels of counterfeit ‘quality’, with the pricing accordingly scaled, For example, a cheap battery powered ‘Rolex’ can cost from 5 to 10 Euro, while another more sophisticated copy of a Rolex, might be 20-50 Euro. Then, at the premium end of the fake scale, a state-of-the-art copy, obviously lacking precious metals or gems, but with a genuine look, costs from 90-110 Euro. In Turkey the fake market mirrors the legitimate market, meeting the demands of consumers prepared to pay against a price scale to obtain differing levels of quality and function in their rip-off ‘premium brands’. Don’t be fooled by the higher prices of some luxury products; if it is being sold at a market, it is never going to be genuine, and in high street shops you may be lulled into a false sense of security that only legitimate sales are being made.

Counterfeit branded makeup and perfume is also a significant problem in Turkey. Putting any fake product directly onto your skin is not advisable, even though the packaging and price might be tempting.

Counterfeit DVDs, CDs and software
Turkey is one of the countries where direct links have been made between terrorist activities and the sale of counterfeits, in this case fake software and computer games that were being sold to raise funds for terrorist operations. Click here to read more about this.

Fake movies, music, software and computer games are readily available and retail at a fraction of the price of the genuine articles. It might be tempting but, apart from the fact that you might be helping to fund terrorist activities, remember that practically all fakes of this type fail to offer the full quality or function of the genuine products. Loading counterfeit software can also permanently affect or even destroy your valuable computer data.

Counterfeit electronics
Unsurprisingly, counterfeit electronics are widely available in Turkey. Currently counterfeit Ipods are one of the most popular items available, but the quality is often extremely, one could say laughably poor. Check out this article detailing the world’s worst fake iPod.

Counterfeit banknotes
Click here for a detailed description on how to avoid counterfeit Turkish Lira notes.

Shopping in Istanbul
Istanbul has something for everyone when it comes to shopping; old, new, exotic, antique and kitsch – it’s all there on offer. The Grand Bazaar (Kapali Çarsi or covered market) is the foremost shopping attraction. This is Turkey’s largest covered market offering a staggering array of beautiful Turkish carpets and kilims, glazed tiles and pottery, copper and brassware, leather clothing and accessories, cotton and wool, meerschaum pipes, alabaster bookends and ashtrays. You can also lunch here, giving your sore feet a welcome rest.

East of the bazaar is Nuruosmaniye Caddesi, which is the place to go for if you are looking for jewellery and/or fine art boutiques.

The Egyptian Bazaar (Misir Çarsisi or Spice Market) is situated in the Eminönü District, right at the southern end of the Galata Bridge on the Golden Horn. Most of the shops here are filled with a heady mixture of spices, dried fruits, nuts, seeds and lokum (Turkish delight), amongst other local delicacies. Hasircilar Caddesi is a narrow, colourful bazaar street running west from the market building with lots more shops selling spices, snacks and housewares.

Bargaining
It might be slightly intimidating to the uninitiated but haggling (or pazarlik) is definitely the name of the game here, at least when you are shopping for items in the bazaars. It is a serious game, involving numerous glasses of tea and a certain amount of polite banter. If you do intend to make a purchase, but just want to wait until the price is right, try not to look too eager, politely comment on the fine workmanship and say that you simply cannot afford the price. Keep it courteous and avoid giving an insultingly low price because that can make the exchange turn sour. Want more information for honing your bargaining skills? Click here.

Carpets and kilims
Maybe it seems like a lot of money to part with but if you do want to buy a Turkish carpet, this is the place to do it. Western prices are considerable higher for these kinds of items, and you should consider the money that you are parting with when buying a genuine Turkish carpet in Turkey as an investment. The Collins Guide to Turkey gives good advice when judging the quality of a carpet: “You can test the genuine article by looking at the back, which should be uneven if hand-made. If you pull at a knot and it comes out, it’s factory made and if the colour comes off when wiped with a wet handkerchief, then it’s an artificial dye. But your eye should be able to guide you best of all”. The Collins Guide also recommends visiting the carpet and kilim shops outside Istanbul, for example in Datça, where it is less touristy and you can find a better price.

Other best buys
There is a plethora of genuine goodies for you to take home at the end of your Turkish experience, including leather (leather jackets here are particularly good value), jewellery (gold and silver can be a good bargain but make sure it is genuine!), china, copperware (head to the Grand Bazaar for this), silk scarves, Turkish Delight, honey, spices (paprika, cinnamon and above all saffron are very good value) and herbs and lots more!

Antiques are often sought after in Turkey, and for the discerning shopper who knows what to look for, it is good hunting ground. But beware that both antiques and the associated paperwork can be fake (as highlighted in a Frommer’s guide to Turkey). “As far as antiques go, shopkeepers seem to be practiced in manufacturing bogus certificates of origin that will facilitate your trip through Customs, but beware: The certificate may not be the only counterfeit item in the shop. Collectors should keep in mind that it is prohibited by Turkish law to export anything dated prior to and through the 19th century.