Turkey Establishes a Halal Conformity Assessment Organization

The Turkish government established a Halal certification body (HAK) under Law No. 7060, published in the Official Gazette on 18 November 2017. HAK has 50 employees and is affiliated with the Ministry of Economy. HAK is the only body authorized to provide halal certification services. Halal certification is voluntary in Turkey.

Background

As a term, over the past decade 'Halal food' has been increasingly emphasized by Turkey's food and foreign trade sectors. 'Halal' is an Arabic word meaning lawful or permitted, while 'Halal food' refers to food developed according to the Islamic dietary law defined in the Quran, free of pork products, alcohol and certain other specific ingredients. Under this dietary law, Muslim believers may not eat the following:

- Pork or pork by-products

- Animals that died before slaughter

- Animals not slaughtered in the correct manner or not in the name of God

- Blood and blood by-products

- Alcohol

- Carnivorous birds

- Land animals without external ears

These prohibited foods and ingredients are called haram, which in Arabic means 'forbidden.' For more information on 'Halal food,' please refer to the 'Guidelines for the Use of the Term Halal Food' prepared by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 'Halal food' certification is similar to any type of food certification and audit system. Whether halal, gluten-free, kosher or organic, food certification services help consumers make informed choices about food.

Halal food certification and standards are an important component of trade with Muslim countries, but there is no global standard. Halal certification is a document issued by a trustworthy, competent and impartial body to food manufacturers, confirming that production complies with Halal standards according to approved methods.

According to Turkey's Ministry of Economy, establishing a new Halal certification body was necessary to meet the growing Muslim population's demand for Halal products and documentation; the world's Muslim population is currently estimated at 1.8 billion. The Halal concept is mainly related to food but also covers a wide range of fields such as textiles, cosmetics, logistics and services. Currently, the potential global trade value of halal-certified sectors is about US$3.9 trillion, and the world's Muslims' total spending on halal products is estimated at US$1.17 trillion. However, different halal standards and documentation systems have led to trade barriers. To address these issues, Turkey advocated establishing the Standards and Metrology Institute for the Islamic Countries (SMIIC), founded in 2010 with 36 members. Headquartered in Istanbul, it is affiliated with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. SMIIC is committed to developing a reliable certification system based on globally common Halal product standards. Interstate certification should take place within the body. Although the institute has made some progress in establishing a common halal certification system, the certification system is not yet in use.

Establishment of Turkey's new Halal certification body

Within this scope, Turkey's Ministry of Economy drafted a bill at the end of May 2017, and on 18 November 2017, Law No. 7060 was officially published in the Official Gazette. The purpose of this law is to regulate the methods for the establishment, organization and authorization of the Halal Certification Body (HAK). The law in Turkish can be found here.

In Turkey, several associations provide Halal certification and inspection for the private sector, such as GIMDES, HEDEM and HELALDER. Some can also provide Halal certificates compliant with other countries' standards under the authorization of the country's Halal certification body. Under the future new certification body, these associations will most likely remain certification providers.

Turkey has 63 hotels that have adopted the 'Halal concept.' Halal conformity assessment bodies inspect these hotels, ski centers and cruise ships for Halal service and food. According to Turkish media reports, Turkey's first Halal ski resort opened in December 2017 at Erciyes in Kayseri Province. At a meeting organized by Turkey's Central Anatolia Development Agency, this new Halal ski resort was introduced to travel agencies from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

Background of Turkey's Halal regulations and bodies

From an economic perspective, the growth of export business to other Muslim countries and the increase in the number of tourists from these countries to Turkey have driven the strengthening of Halal standards. For example, Turkish wheat product exporters need certification from the importing countries; although Turkey does not require it in the domestic market, these countries require products imported from Turkey to bear a Halal label. The Turkish Standards Institution (TSE), Turkey's only standardization authority, began organizing Halal food certification in 2011 to develop Turkey's Halal standards. This was initiated by SMIIC, of which the Turkish Standards Institute is one of the founders.

The Turkish Accreditation Agency (TURKAK) is a national accreditation body that provides accreditation services in every sector in Turkey. TURKAK is a member of European accreditation and has signed a multilateral agreement (EA MLA), under which signatory countries recognize and accept the equivalence of certification systems operated by signatory members. They have also provided accreditation to Halal conformity assessment bodies in the past, but under the conditions set by the Standards and Metrology Institute for the Islamic Countries, Halal conformity assessment bodies must be Muslim. Since this requirement does not comply with the EU's harmonization procedures and European accreditation rules, the European Ministry of Economy considered that TURKAK could not provide Halal certification dealings. To avoid any problems, the Turkish government established a new independent Halal certification body.

Duties and powers of this body

The department associated with the new Halal certification body is the Ministry of Economy. Under the Establishment Law, the duties and authorities of the Halal Certification Body are as follows:

1. Provide Halal certification services to Halal conformity assessment bodies established in Turkey and abroad, and determine and implement the standards and measures related to Halal certification.

2. Within its scope of duties, represent Turkey in international and regional accreditation alliances and organizations, become their member, participate in management or serve as a center for these organizations, sign bilateral or multilateral mutual recognition agreements, and establish contact and cooperate with relevant Halal certification bodies in countries without accreditation bodies and certification bodies.

3. Carry out various scientific and technological research on Halal certification. Conduct activities to raise the importance of Halal certification, and in this regard, provide education, research and publications or organize national and international conferences, seminars and similar meetings.

4. Operate the body's operations; procure services; acquire, sell, lease and supervise property construction.

5. Perform other duties assigned by law.

Under the legal provisions, the body has three parts: the chairman, the advisory committee and the secretary-general. The decision-making part is the board of directors, composed of five members appointed by the prime minister. This includes two government representatives, the chairman, and two private-sector representatives selected from the advisory committee.

Under the law, the advisory committee consists of one representative each from the following government and private-sector organizations, with each member serving a three-year term, and each organization choosing its own representative to join the board:

Ministry of Science and Technology,

Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock,

Ministry of Customs and Trade,

Ministry of the Interior,

Ministry of Development,

Ministry of Culture and Tourism,

Ministry of Finance, Ministry of National Education,

Ministry of Health,

Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications,

Directorate of Religious Affairs (DIYANET),

Undersecretariat of the Treasury,

Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency,

Capital Markets Board of Turkey,

Small and Medium Enterprises Development Organization,

Turkish Accreditation Agency,

Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency,

Turkish Standards Institution,

Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey,

Council of Higher Education,

Turkish Exporters Assembly,

Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey,

Foreign Economic Relations Board,

Participation Banks Association of Turkey,

Turkish Capital Markets Association,

Confederation of Turkish Tradesmen and Craftsmen,

Union of Agricultural Chambers,

Association of Turkish Travel Agencies,

Association of Independent Industrialists and Businessmen,

Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association,

Turkish Hoteliers Association,

Association of Turkish Milk, Meat, Food Industrialists and Manufacturers,

Poultry Meat Producers and Breeders Association,

National Grain Council,

National Cotton Council,

National Red Meat Council,

National Milk Council,

National Citrus Council,

National Legumes Council,

National Olive and Olive Oil Council,

National Hazelnut Council,

National Tea Council,

Consumer Associations

The duties required for the body's services are performed by the secretary-general and its various departments. HAK may open offices in other countries to provide services. Overseas offices may be opened through cabinet decrees and ministerial proposals. There are currently no overseas offices.