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Türkkan Law Firm
TRENRU
Series010 SectionCarat Date17 June 2026 Reading time2 minutes

The scope of foreign exchange rules has widened: refining and purchase and sale

Law No. 7555 has added refining and purchase and sale to the foreign exchange regulatory power; the activities requiring authorisation and the sanctions have been rewritten.

What changed

Law No. 7555 amended the first paragraph of Article 1 of Law No. 1567 on the Protection of the Value of Turkish Currency (1567 sayılı Türk Parasının Kıymetini Koruma Hakkında Kanun). The subject of the regulatory power now expressly includes the refining of precious metals and the purchase and sale of these assets. In other words, the foreign exchange regime is concerned not only with crossing the border but also with activity within Türkiye.

The same Law also rewrote the activities requiring a permit. Those for which a permit from the Ministry of Treasury and Finance is mandatory are:

  • Buying and selling foreign currency for commercial purposes
  • Operating as a member of the Borsa İstanbul Precious Metals Market
  • Engaging in precious metal refining activities
  • Operating within the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme

There are also changes on the sanctions side: for taking out of or bringing into Türkiye without a permit, the fine now ranges from half to twice the market value (reduced by half for an attempt), and repetition within five years of the decision becoming final doubles the fine. This doubling rule does not apply to unauthorised activity: there, in case of repetition, the fine is imposed at the upper limit; if the business premises were opened solely for the activity subject to a permit, all activities are permanently suspended (Law No. 1567, Article 3(5)).

Basis

Law No. 7555 of 20 July 2025 · Official Gazette of 24 July 2025 · Law No. 1567, Articles 1, 3 and 4

Entry into force

On the date of publication. Not a time-limited provision.

Who is affected

Refineries · precious metals intermediary institutions (kıymetli madenler aracı kuruluşu) · authorised institutions (yetkili müessese) · rough diamond traders · jewellers and jewellery businesses

What to do

If your activity falls under one of the four headings above, check your permit status. The sanction for unauthorised activity is not limited to an administrative fine; it also extends to the suspension of activity at the business premises.

Legislation changes; so does this article. This article was prepared on the basis of the legislation in force on the date of its publication. Amounts, rates, thresholds and time limits marked with are subject to change. Do not carry out any transaction on the basis of this article.

Related page: Foreign Exchange Legislation