13.10.2026 08:42
With the new regulation being worked on by the Ministry of Health and the AK Party Group Presidency, it is planned to switch to a QR code identity verification system in cigarette sales. Whether those who want to buy cigarettes in markets, grocery stores, and corner shops have turned 18 will be checked electronically. Sellers will not be able to see buyers' personal information. The system, which also envisages monitoring the daily amount of tobacco product purchases, is targeted to be implemented within one year.
In the health regulation that the Ministry of Health and the AK Party Group Chairmanship are continuing to prepare, new measures for the sale of tobacco products are being worked on. The main goal of the regulation is to prevent the sale of cigarettes to those under 18 and to make age control at points of sale more effective.
According to a report by Türkiye newspaper, within this scope, similar to practices in Japan and South Korea, the use of electronic systems or devices in the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products is planned.
The draft bill also included the results of the 2017 Global Youth Tobacco Survey. According to the survey, 73.3 percent of students in the 13-15 age group who smoked were able to buy cigarettes from points of sale such as supermarkets and grocery stores even though they had not turned 18.
AGE VERIFICATION TO BE DONE VIA QR CODE
According to the model being worked on, electronic age verification will be carried out through a QR code created by the relevant public authority.
The QR code, to be scanned with the buyer's phone, will be matched with the person's Turkish Republic ID number through the system. Thus, it can be checked whether the person who wants to buy cigarettes has turned 18.
The system will show the seller only whether the age requirement is met, without transmitting the buyer's name, exact age, or other personal information.
PLANNED TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN SUPERMARKETS AND KIOSKS
The use of the electronic identity verification system at physical points of sale such as supermarkets, grocery stores, and kiosks is being evaluated.
In the draft, the option of introducing the age verification system for online sales is also being considered. However, since the online sale of tobacco products is prohibited under current legislation in Turkey, it has not yet become clear how this heading will be regulated.
A ONE-YEAR COMPLIANCE PROCESS IS ENVISAGED
Under the new regulation, it is planned to monitor via the electronic system not only the ages of people purchasing tobacco products but also the amount of tobacco products they can purchase daily.
While the system is expected to be developed and put into practice within one year, the technical infrastructure and implementation principles will be determined by the Ministry of Health. The Ministry will also obtain the opinion of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry during this process. For the regulation, which is still at the draft stage, to enter into force, the proposal must become law.