As part of the European Union harmonisation process, the Turkish parliament has adopted the Product Safety and Technical Regulations Law (the PSTRL). The PSTRL, published on 12 March 2020, has entered into force one year after its publication just recently, on 12 March 2021. Just before the PSTRL entered into force, the General Product Safety Regulation was also published. The provisions regarding PSTRL are prepared considering the European Union Product Liability Directive dated 1985. By the promulgation of PSTRL, which has been expected for a long time and is an important part of the EU harmonisation process, the product liability has been regulated as a whole through a general act of parliament. The doctrine, which was in the expectation of a law that complies with EU regulations, has long advocated the need of regulating the manufacturer’s absolute responsibility not only to the consumers but also to all third parties.
PSTRL’s main purpose is to regulate in detail the requirements in relation to the safety of all kinds of products, and in case of contradiction with such requirements to ensure that the responsible party, such as the manufacturer or importer, provides appropriate compensation for the damages caused by the non-conforming product to the customer’s health or property.
