Brand Protection on Turkish Marketplaces: Trendyol and Hepsiburada Guide

Selling on Trendyol or Hepsiburada puts your products in front of millions of shoppers, but it also exposes your name to copycats, unauthorised resellers and counterfeit listings. Brand protection on Turkish marketplaces starts with one decisive step: registering your trademark with the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office (TÜRKPATENT). You then use that registration to enrol in each platform’s brand owner programme and to remove infringing listings. This guide walks you through the practical order of those moves, so your brand is defended before problems appear rather than after.

In our practice before TÜRKPATENT, sellers who register their trademark early spend far less time chasing copycats later, because the marketplaces act quickly once you can show a valid registration certificate. Brand protection on Turkish marketplaces is not a single action; it is a short sequence of steps that build on one another.

What Brand Protection on Turkish Marketplaces Really Means

Brand protection on Turkish marketplaces means securing your trademark rights in Türkiye and then using every tool the platforms give registered brand owners to control how your name, logo and products appear online. It has three layers. The first is your underlying right, a trademark registered before TÜRKPATENT. The second is enrolment in the brand owner or brand registry programmes that Trendyol and Hepsiburada operate. The third is ongoing monitoring, so that fakes, hijacked listings and lookalike sellers are caught and reported early.

Without the first layer, the other two barely function. A marketplace will rarely remove a competing listing on your say-so alone; it wants proof that you own the name. That is why Turkish marketplace trademark protection begins at TÜRKPATENT and only then moves to the platforms themselves.

Why a Registered Trademark Is the Foundation

A registered trademark is the foundation because it turns your brand name from a marketing asset into an enforceable right under Türkiye’s Industrial Property Code No. 6769. Once TÜRKPATENT grants your registration, you hold an exclusive right to use that mark for the goods and services you registered, and you gain a clear basis to object when someone else uses it. Turkish marketplace trademark protection depends entirely on this: the platforms are private companies, and they respond to documented rights, not to unregistered claims.

An unregistered brand name is far weaker. You may have used it for years, but proving prior use to a marketplace complaints team is slow and uncertain. A registration certificate, by contrast, is a single document that platforms recognise instantly. This is why Turkish trademark registration for online sellers is the highest-value step you can take before scaling on Trendyol or Hepsiburada.

How Trademark Registration in Turkey Works

Trademark registration in Turkey is handled by TÜRKPATENT and follows a predictable path from search to certificate. Knowing the stages helps you plan, because you should ideally file before your sales volume makes you a target.

Step 1: Clearance search

Start with a clearance search of the TÜRKPATENT register to check whether an identical or confusingly similar mark already exists in your class. In our practice before TÜRKPATENT, applications backed by a clean clearance search move noticeably faster and face fewer oppositions.

Step 2: Choose the right classes

Trademarks are registered against goods and services grouped under the international Nice Classification. A cosmetics seller and a software brand register in different classes, and you pay an official fee per class. Choose the classes that match what you actually sell on Trendyol and Hepsiburada, plus any near-term plans.

Step 3: File, examination and publication

After filing, TÜRKPATENT examines the application on absolute grounds and, if it passes, publishes it in the Official Trademark Bulletin. A two-month window then opens during which third parties can file an opposition. If no opposition succeeds, the mark proceeds to registration.

As of the time this article is written, a smooth application typically takes around six to ten months from filing to registration, though timelines and official fees change, so confirm the current position with a trademark and patent attorney before you budget. Once granted, a Turkish trademark lasts ten years and is renewable indefinitely in ten-year periods.

Enrolling in Brand Programmes on Trendyol and Hepsiburada

Once you hold a registration, enrol in the brand owner programmes that both platforms run for verified rights holders. Brand protection on Trendyol and Hepsiburada is far stronger for sellers who have completed this verification, because it unlocks tools that ordinary accounts do not have.

Trendyol asks brand owners to submit proof of their trademark, typically the registration certificate or an official application record, before granting brand owner status and its brand controls. Hepsiburada runs a similar verification for brands that want to manage their name on the platform. The exact programme names and requested documents change, so check each seller portal for the current requirements. Expect to provide your TÜRKPATENT certificate, company details and, if you are not the registered owner yourself, a document showing your authorisation to act for the brand.

Turkish trademark registration for online sellers pays off most clearly here. Verified brand owners can usually restrict who lists under their name, respond to unauthorised sellers, and access reporting channels that untracked accounts never see. This is the practical core of brand protection on Trendyol and Hepsiburada.

How Do You Remove Counterfeit Listings on Trendyol and Hepsiburada?

You remove infringing products by filing an intellectual property complaint through each marketplace’s dedicated reporting channel, backed by your trademark registration. Knowing how to remove counterfeit listings on Trendyol saves both revenue and reputation, because every fake sold under your name erodes customer trust.

The general process on both platforms looks like this:

1. Document the infringement. Save the listing URL, seller name, screenshots and, where possible, a test purchase that shows the product is not genuine.
2. Identify the right claim. Decide whether the issue is a counterfeit, an unauthorised use of your logo or name, or a listing that copies your product images and text.
3. File through the IP complaint channel. Submit your report through the platform’s brand protection or intellectual property form, attaching your TÜRKPATENT certificate and the evidence.
4. Follow up. Track the ticket, respond to any request for further proof, and escalate repeat offenders.

This is also why registration matters so much: the complaint form almost always asks for a registration number. Sellers who understand how to remove counterfeit listings on Trendyol and Hepsiburada before a crisis hits can act within hours rather than scrambling to register while sales leak to a copycat. For persistent or large-scale infringement, a trademark and patent attorney can help you prepare stronger complaints and, where appropriate, file an opposition or take other anti-counterfeiting steps.

Registered Versus Unregistered: What Each Marketplace Tool Requires

The difference between a registered and an unregistered brand on these platforms is stark. The list below shows what you can realistically do in each case.

• Brand owner verification: available on both platforms with a TÜRKPATENT registration, usually closed to you without one.
• Removing counterfeit listings: a strong, documented basis when you are registered, weak and often refused when you are not.
• Controlling unauthorised sellers: possible through the platforms’ brand tools once registered, very limited otherwise.
• Opposition at TÜRKPATENT: available against copycat filings when you hold a registration, not available without one.
• Renewal and long-term rights: ten years and renewable with a registration, none without it.

The pattern is clear. Almost every meaningful tool for brand protection on Turkish marketplaces sits behind a registration you must obtain first.

Extending Protection Beyond a Single Marketplace

Protecting your brand on Trendyol and Hepsiburada is the starting point, not the finish line. If you sell across borders or plan to, consider protecting the mark internationally through the WIPO Madrid System, which lets you extend a Turkish registration to many countries from a single application, or through the EUIPO for the European Union. A Turkish registration is the base from which these international filings are built.

Two more steps round out Turkish marketplace trademark protection. First, secure your matching domain names and social handles, so copycats cannot mimic you off-platform. Second, put monitoring in place: periodic searches of the TÜRKPATENT register and the marketplaces catch new lookalike filings and listings early, when they are cheapest to stop. Renewals matter too, because a lapsed registration quietly removes every protection described above.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a Turkish trademark to sell on Trendyol or Hepsiburada?

You can often open a seller account without one, but you cannot access real brand protection on Turkish marketplaces without a registration. Verification programmes and counterfeit takedown tools generally require a TÜRKPATENT certificate, so a registration is essential if you want to defend your name rather than just list products.

How long does trademark registration in Turkey take?

A smooth application usually takes around six to ten months from filing to registration as of the time this article is written. The timeline depends on whether TÜRKPATENT raises objections and whether any third party files an opposition during the two-month publication window. Official fees and timelines change, so confirm the current position before you plan.

How do I remove counterfeit listings on Trendyol?

You file an intellectual property complaint through Trendyol’s brand protection channel, attaching your trademark certificate and evidence such as listing URLs and screenshots. Learning how to remove counterfeit listings on Trendyol before you need to means you can act within hours. Hepsiburada offers a comparable reporting route for verified brand owners.

Can I protect my brand if I only have a foreign trademark?

A foreign trademark alone gives you limited leverage on Turkish platforms, which recognise Turkish rights most readily. The reliable route is a Turkish registration, obtained directly at TÜRKPATENT or by extending your existing mark to Türkiye through the WIPO Madrid System.

What does Turkish trademark registration for online sellers cost?

Turkish trademark registration for online sellers involves an official TÜRKPATENT application fee charged per class of goods or services, plus any professional fees. Because official charges change periodically, we do not quote a fixed figure here; a trademark and patent attorney can give you the current cost for the exact classes you need.

What happens if someone registers my brand name first?

If a copycat files your name before you do, you may be able to oppose the application during the publication window or challenge it afterward, but the process is harder and less certain than filing first. This is why early Turkish trademark registration for online sellers is strongly advised.

Does one Turkish trademark cover both Trendyol and Hepsiburada?

Yes. A single TÜRKPATENT registration is a national right that supports brand protection on Trendyol and Hepsiburada and on any other Turkish marketplace, as long as the goods you sell fall within the classes you registered.

How often do I need to renew my trademark?

A Turkish trademark is valid for ten years from the application date and can be renewed indefinitely in further ten-year terms. Missing a renewal ends your protection, so track the deadline or ask your attorney to monitor it for you.

Your Brand Protection on Turkish Marketplaces Checklist

Strong brand protection on Turkish marketplaces comes down to a clear order of steps: register your trademark at TÜRKPATENT, enrol in the brand owner programmes on Trendyol and Hepsiburada, and monitor and act on infringement through each platform’s complaint channel. Do these in sequence and copycats lose the easy openings they rely on. Contact us for more information on registering and defending your brand in Türkiye.

About Leo Patent

Leo Patent is a leading trademark and patent attorney firm (marka ve patent vekili) serving foreign and Turkish clients across Türkiye. The firm is registered before the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office (TÜRKPATENT) and the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (registration no. 308755-5), and handles trademark, patent, design and other intellectual property registrations in Türkiye and internationally.

This article was prepared under the supervision of Burak Ünal, general manager of Leo Patent, registered trademark attorney (TÜRKPATENT reg. no. 2900) and registered patent attorney (TÜRKPATENT reg. no. 1677). He holds a Business Management degree from Boğaziçi University (2016) and an MSc in Finance from the London School of Economics, which he attended as a Chevening Scholar; he is also a congress member of Galatasaray Sports Club. He advises clients in Turkish, English, French and Chinese. In Türkiye, trademark and patent attorneys are a regulated profession separate from lawyers: Burak Ünal is not a lawyer, and Leo Patent does not provide lawyer services or court representation.

Need help with a trademark or patent in Türkiye? Contact Leo Patent for a consultation: www.leopatent.com · [email protected] · WhatsApp +90 532 689 48 18.

Disclaimer: Leo Patent is a trademark and patent attorney firm (marka ve patent vekili) and is not a law firm; it does not provide lawyer services, legal advice or court representation. This article is for general informational purposes only and you are strongly advised to consult a qualified professional to evaluate your personal situation. No liability is accepted that may arise from the use of the information in this article.