Ban On Food By Post to Turkey

[immac]

I have been using a firm in UK to send food items by post for a few years. Expensive (postage) but reliable for items not available in Turkey. My last parcel was refused by Customs in Fethiye and returned to sender. Went to Customs who were very nice about it, but told me that the law has changed and any parcel including food will be refused and returned to UK - you can´t even remove the offending items and have everything else.

Customs officer photocopied relevant paper which I have copied below. Got local translator (Atak) to translate the relevant section and this is included. It lists items that can be brought in hand luggage by travellers.

The company that sends my parcels says they have lots of customers in Turkey and they have not had any other problems.

Am I victim of an over-zealous officer or is he right and all the others are lax?

Translation:
"Here are related explanations regarding your parcel.


Circular numbered 2011/39 refers to decision of Council of Ministers numbered 2009/15481 which was published in Official Gazette 07.10.2009 with the number of 23955. On the first page of the document you have, the sentence underlined explains that items specified in the A) Consumer Goods section in the appendix 9 of the said decision are possible to be brought in together the passenger only.

I checked the said section in the appendix 9, clause a refers to tobacco & tobacco products, clause b refers to alcoholic products, clause c refers to cosmetics products and the translation of the clause ç is as follows;

Clause ç) FOOD PRODUCTS

1-Tea 1 kg

2-Instant Coffee 1 kg

3-Coffee 1 kg

4-Chocolate 1 kg

5-Food made of sugar 1 kg

I also spoke with the Customs Surveyor of Fethiye Customs Office and he explained that no food items are allowed to be imported to Turkey by post since 2011 in accordance with A) Consumer Goods section in the appendix 9 of the decision of Council of Ministers numbered 2009/15481

Other parts of the document are not related to your products since they refer to food supplements (vitamins etc.) or athlete food"

 

[Elvira]

Re: Ban On Food By Post

I have been using a firm in UK to send food items by post for a few years. Expensive (postage) but reliable for items not available in Turkey. My last parcel was refused by Customs in Fethiye and returned to sender. Went to Customs who were very nice about it, but told me that the law has changed and any parcel including food will be refused and returned to UK - you can´t even remove the offending items and have everything else.

Customs officer photocopied relevant paper which I have copied below. Got local translator (Atak) to translate the relevant section and this is included. It lists items that can be brought in hand luggage by travellers.

The company that sends my parcels says they have lots of customers in Turkey and they have not had any other problems.

Am I victim of an over-zealous officer or is he right and all the others are lax?

Translation:
"Here are related explanations regarding your parcel.


Circular numbered 2011/39 refers to decision of Council of Ministers numbered 2009/15481 which was published in Official Gazette 07.10.2009 with the number of 23955. On the first page of the document you have, the sentence underlined explains that items specified in the A) Consumer Goods section in the appendix 9 of the said decision are possible to be brought in together the passenger only.

I checked the said section in the appendix 9, clause a refers to tobacco & tobacco products, clause b refers to alcoholic products, clause c refers to cosmetics products and the translation of the clause ç is as follows;

Clause ç) FOOD PRODUCTS

1-Tea 1 kg

2-Instant Coffee 1 kg

3-Coffee 1 kg

4-Chocolate 1 kg

5-Food made of sugar 1 kg

I also spoke with the Customs Surveyor of Fethiye Customs Office and he explained that no food items are allowed to be imported to Turkey by post since 2011 in accordance with A) Consumer Goods section in the appendix 9 of the decision of Council of Ministers numbered 2009/15481

Other parts of the document are not related to your products since they refer to food supplements (vitamins etc.) or athlete food"

Was the sender 'British Corner Shop' ? I also use them delivered to Antalya

 

[immac]

Re: Ban On Food By Post

Was the sender 'British Corner Shop' ? I also use them delivered to Antalya

Yes, British Corner Shop, who, I have to say, could not have been more helpful and concerned. They were good enough to forward the parcel to a friend after it arrived back with them.

Ian

 

[shirleyanntr]

Re: Ban On Food By Post

thanks İan
ive been thinking of ordering from them just this week in fact had sorted what i wanted and got up this morning ready to place and order
this is typical of Turkey one dept doesnt know what the other is doing they make laws that officials become aware of a couple or years down the line by which time its either rescinded or suddenly become important ..especailly asyou say some petty official suddenly gets wind of it
ive always wondered why Marks and Spencers deliver to the Middle East ...even to Syria....but not to Turkey

 

[altinkum kev]

Re: Ban On Food By Post

Go to the Greek Islands to buy your food, I fly to N,Cyprus for mine .

 

[immac]

Re: Ban On Food By Post

At the moment it seems to be just Fethiye, so you may be safe.

Ian

 

[shirleyanntr]

Re: Ban On Food By Post

Go to the Greek Islands to buy your food, I fly to N,Cyprus for mine .

do you have any problems with customs

 

[altinkum kev]

Re: Ban On Food By Post

do you have any problems with customs

No got back this morning again with about 40 kilos of ham butter pork etc, I go every month. Not forgetting the spirits 25 lira for Smirnoff and 38 lira Bacardi 1 litre bottles in the local shops there .

 

[immac]

Re: Ban On Food By Post

No got back this morning again with about 40 kilos of ham butter pork etc, I go every month. Not forgetting the spirits 25 lira for Smirnoff and 38 lira Bacardi 1 litre bottles in the local shops there .

Do you have to go through customs coming from Cyprus (North)? My problem, going from Dalaman, is that the same customs people work there as in Fethiye. There is a limit to how badly I want my Ovaltine -probably not enough to travel.

Ian

 

[paddington bear]

Just looked at the British Corner Shop site, I thought it very expensive, luckily this summer we have had family and friends staying, so that was 40 kg of food brought over!!!!


Sue

 

[altinkum kev]

Re: Ban On Food By Post

Do you have to go through customs coming from Cyprus (North)? My problem, going from Dalaman, is that the same customs people work there as in Fethiye. There is a limit to how badly I want my Ovaltine -probably not enough to travel.

Ian

Yes and they normally scan all bags coming in, only been pulled in once and just smiled said food for family and waved on.

 

[paddington bear]

Re: Ban On Food By Post

Yes and they normally scan all bags coming in, only been pulled in once and just smiled said food for family and waved on.

How far is it from the airport in N Cyprus to a large supermarket, may be worth thinking about flying over for a day out.


Sue

 

[guinevere]

i thought northern cyprus was turkish ,do they sell pork products in the supermarkets then ? may be worth a small holiday .

 

[shirleyanntr]

İts easy to get pork over there..outside Girne theres a large supermarket that sells a variety of British food..i used to buy bacon there for our restaurant many years ago

and of course you can cross over to the Greek side

 

[maggie]

Kev, how much is the flight over see if its worthwhile!!!!

Hugs Maggie xx

 

[altinkum kev]

Flights start at 30Lira with Pegasus if you book a month or so in advance , there are pork farms and shops there , I normally go from Thursday to Monday once a month nice break with all the UK beers and ciders on draft .

 

[shirleyanntr]

Kev do you shop at the Greek or Turkish side..

 

[altinkum kev]

Turkish side ,never been to the South .

 

[maggie]

wow thats a good price so its Bodrum to where with Pegasus airline!! please

Hugs Maggie x

 

[Sara-666]

Unless things have changed there are no flights from Bodrum direct to Ercan, you either drive to Izmir or you go from Bodrum to Istanbul then Istanbul to Ercan. The direct flights stopped when Cyprus Turkish Airlines went under.


Sara