TURQUALITY® 2026: New Regulations and Their Impact on the Service Sector

The Circular on Brand and TURQUALITY® Support, published on 30 October 2026, contains significant changes to the support available to exporting businesses, the application conditions and the rules of implementation.

When assessing these regulations, however, TURQUALITY® practice for the export of goods must be distinguished from TURQUALITY® practice for the export of services.

Key Changes in the New Circular

The new circular, published under Decision No. 5973 on Export Supports, revises the upper limits of support and the export thresholds required for entry to the programme.

• Updating the annual upper limits of support in the TURQUALITY® programme
• Revising the supports under the Brand Programme
• Raising the limits on consultancy, employment and development roadmap supports
• Raising the export performance criteria required for entry to the programme
• Introducing new limits that tie the use of support to export performance

For businesses, these changes make not only the available financial support but also programme preparation and strategic planning important.

What Does This Mean for Hospitality and the Service Sector?

A different regulatory framework applies when assessing TURQUALITY® practice in hospitality and other service export sectors.

Decision No. 10962 on the Definition and Classification of Service Exports and Support for Service Sectors, which entered into force on 27 February 2026, governs the support available to accommodation businesses for branding and for developing their international competitiveness.

Within this scope, provided the eligibility conditions are met, support may be available in the following areas:

• Corporate governance and management consultancy
• Strategic business planning
• Brand management and international promotion
• Digitalisation and software
• Certification
• Qualified employment
• Sustainability and corporate development

It should therefore not be assumed that the limits and application conditions in the new circular for the export of goods apply directly to accommodation businesses.

TURQUALITY® Is More Than a Support Programme

From a corporate point of view, one of the most important aspects of the TURQUALITY® programme is its focus on developing the management capacity and international competitiveness of businesses.

The strength of a brand cannot be measured by its recognition or service quality alone. The feasibility of the corporate strategy, the effectiveness of processes, the approach to leadership, financial management, human resources and the sustainability of performance are also part of the whole.

In tourism businesses in particular, it is important to manage operational excellence, the guest experience, quality management, sustainability and digital transformation under a shared corporate strategy.

TURQUALITY® preparation should be treated not simply as an exercise in preparing documents for the assessment period, but as an opportunity for the organisation to question its current management maturity and identify areas for development.

What Should Businesses Prioritise?

Under the new regulatory framework, businesses preparing for the TURQUALITY® programme or developing their existing programmes should give priority to the following areas.

• Verifying current legislation and sector-specific eligibility conditions
• Linking corporate strategies to measurable targets
• Reviewing process performance and management indicators
• Addressing quality, risk and sustainability management in an integrated way
• Prioritising corporate development needs

What matters in a successful preparation process is not only meeting the assessment criteria but ensuring that the management practices developed carry through into daily operations.

Norma Quality's Assessment

The regulations published in 2026 require businesses to reassess TURQUALITY® programmes from the perspective of current legislation, corporate governance and sustainable development.

At Norma Quality, we believe that quality management, operational excellence and sustainability are not independent activities but complementary elements of a strong corporate governance structure.

Lasting competitive advantage comes not just from building a strong brand but from delivering the value that brand promises every day, with the same management discipline.

Legislative Sources

• Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Trade — Circular on Brand and TURQUALITY® Support dated 30 October 2026 (Decision No. 5973).
• Decision No. 10962 on the Definition and Classification of Service Exports and Support for Service Sectors (27 February 2026).
• Circular on Support for Service Sectors.

Source (in Turkish): https://www.ticaret.gov.tr/destekler/ihracat-destekleri/5973-sayili-ihracat-destekleri-hakkinda-karara-iliskin-genelgeler/marka-ve-turquality-destegi

Please note: this content has been prepared for general information purposes. For the conditions for benefiting from support, application dates, current limits and sector-specific eligibility provisions, the legislation in force published by the Ministry of Trade should be taken as the basis.