Stimulating trust in Turkish e-commerce through EU-Turkey collaboration

Today, Thursday May 24 2012, leading European internet regulation consultancy firm Considerati and leading Turkish IT law firm BTS & Partners signed a collaboration agreement. The ceremony took place in the presence of Dutch Vice-Prime Minister Maxime Verhagen on board of the Dutch Royal Navy frigate HNMLS Evertsen, currently anchored in Istanbul. 

The goal of the collaboration between Considerati and BTS & Partners is to accelerate Turkish e-commerce and facilitate cross-border e-commerce by helping Turkish businesses in dealing with EU legislation and policies. Some of the main issues are privacy, cyber security and copyright. The collaboration also aims to support European e-commerce firms to enter the flourishing Turkish market.

Dutch Vice-prime Minister Maxime Verhagen: “Since 2008, the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation and the EU have been supporting the Turkish Ministry of Justice with the harmonisation of Turkish law with the European E-commerce Directive and the European rules for privacy and data protection. This exchange of knowledge and experience contributed to a sound legal framework for e-commerce in Turkey and both BTS & Partners and Considerati were deeply involved in this process. Now that the most important work has been done at state level, we are delighted to see that the market follows up on government initiatives to increase trust in e-commerce. E-commerce in Turkey has great potential. To exploit the full potential of the Turkish online market, it is important to create a level playing field with the EU. Also, companies need to invest in creating trust in e-commerce by complying with the rules, respecting privacy of consumers and using adequate security measures. In our experience, sectors that invest in trust marks and dispute resolution mechanisms benefit most in the long run. All parties interested in doing e-commerce in Turkey can benefit from the unique combination of knowledge and experience of BTS & Partners and Considerati.”

Ton Wagemans, managing partner of Considerati: “Trust is crucial for e-commerce. Consumers want to be sure that they can safely buy on the internet and that their rights are being respected. However, dealing with (international) legislation, changing policies and concerns like privacy and cybercrime pose a real challenge to online businesses, while the potential for e-commerce in Turkey is great. With the unique collaboration between BTS & Partners and Considerati, we can support these businesses in addressing issues of trust, realizing their full potential and assist international e-commerce firms in entering in the Turkish market.”

Yasin Beceni, managing partner of BTS & Partners: “Turkey is and will remain a key player in the global e-commerce market. We must have the necessary e-commerce legislation and policies in place to support Turkey’s position and on-going growth in this dynamic and important sector. We are very happy to announce our cooperation with Considerati, today. With this unique combination of expertise we offer our Turkish and international clients full service for roll-out of international e-commerce in Turkey and in the EU and thereby accelerating the information society.”

About BTS & Partners
BTS & Partners, www.bts-legal.com, is the leading Turkish IT and IP law firm, ranked #1 in Legal500.