31.08.2026 11:32
When Selim Calap logged into e-Devlet to check his traffic fine, he was shocked to see that the car he bought in 2018 had a right deprivation. The driver, who learned that the vehicle, whose taxes he had paid and inspections he had done for years, had been illegally brought through customs by being declared as a 'refrigerator or air conditioner,' started a legal battle for his unsellable car.
Selim Calap, who bought a 2006 Mercedes from Trabzon, entered the e-Government system to check the penalty status of his car and was shocked when he saw a right deprivation on his vehicle. The investigation revealed that the luxury car, whose taxes and inspections had been paid for years, had been brought into Turkey by declaring it as a white good such as a "refrigerator or air conditioner" to pay lower customs tax.
Selim Calap, living in Izmit, encountered a case file that has been ongoing at the Bakirkoy 1st Heavy Penal Court since 2010 when he checked the status of the car he purchased in 2018 via the e-Government system. It was understood that the vehicle, whose chassis number had no tampering, was brought into Turkey as a white good to pay lower customs tax.
"IN THE END, WE HAVE OUR CAR, BUT..."
Calap, stating that he regularly paid all taxes for the vehicle and learned the situation completely by chance, expressed his grievance as follows: "Last September, I checked on e-Government whether I had a traffic fine and learned that there was a right deprivation. A lawsuit was filed by the Bakirkoy 1st Heavy Penal Court in 2010. The vehicle was brought from abroad as a white good in some way. In the end, we have our car, but it appears as a white good; I don't know if it's a refrigerator or a washing machine. I am satisfied with my car, I paid all its taxes. As far as I know, there are about 10 thousand victims like this. If we want to sell, we can't sell; we want our state to solve this issue."
"AN EXPERT CANNOT DETECT THIS"
Expert Sami Tarcan, who performed the vehicle's inspection, stated that there was no irregularity in the chassis number and that the problem stemmed from the customs declaration. Tarcan, noting that there are more than 1,000 plaintiffs in the case that has been ongoing for 15 years, warned citizens who will buy second-hand vehicles: "You see a car in front of you, but in the system it appears as a refrigerator or air conditioner. It was tricked to pay lower customs tax. An expert cannot detect this because there is no tampering in the chassis number. Those who will buy second-hand cars should definitely investigate whether the vehicle has a customs origin or dealer origin. If it is not dealer origin, they should go to the tax office with the vehicle owner and check the customs and tax records."