RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/STR/Q1/TUR/5
21January 1998
ORGANIZATION(98-0205)
Original: English Working Party on
State Trading Enterprises
STATE TRADING
Replies toQuestions Posed bytheUNITED STATES1
Concerning theArticle XVII Notification ofTURKEY2
Thefollowing communication, dated 17December 1997, hasbeenreceived fromthePermanent
Mission ofTurkey.
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Q1. Ourunderstanding isthattheSoilProducts Office (Turkish Grain Board) hadtheauthority
tooperate asanintervention agency andimport andexport onbehalf ofthegovernment. Could
Turkey please explain what specific changes have occurred withrespect totheTurkish Grain
Board 'sspecial rights andprivileges?
Q2. Ourunderstanding isthatTEKEL hadtheexclusive right toimport (andproduce) arange
ofalcoholic products. Could Turkey please explain what specific changes have occurred with
respect toTEKEL 'sspecial rights andprivileges?
Reply
Thespecial andexclusive rights andprivileges thathadoncebeenaccorded under Turkey 's
previous Import Regime topublic enterprises andstate monopolies have been removed asof
1January 1996, withtheentry intoforce ofTurkey 'sNewImport Regime which waspublished in
theOfficial Gazette dated 31December 1995 (No.BIS22510).
Inthiscontext the"monopoly status" ofTEKEL forwhisky andwinewasabolished. Inaddition
tothis,theexclusive rightgranted totheTurkish SoilProduct Office (Turkish Grain Board) toimport
products withpreferential tariff rates(exemption frommass housing fundlevy) wasalsoterminated.
However, Turkish StateMonopolies (TEKEL) stillmaintains amonopoly pertaining toLaw
No.4250 passed bytheParliament aswasmentioned indocuments G/STR/N/1/TUR and
G/STR/N/3/TUR, onimports anddistribution onthedomestic market ofsome spirits andbeverages
containing alcohol andethylalcohol (liquors andother spirituous beverages, wineandfruitwine, beer,
ethyl alcohol).
1G/STR/Q1/TUR/4.
2G/STR/N/3/TUR.
./.G/STR/Q1/TUR/5
Page2
TheTurkish Grain Board trades (both purchasing andselling) cereals andother commodities
onthedomestic market atprices setinconformity withtheinternational price trends, withaviewto
ensuring theequilibrium forthesupply anddemand ofthesaidproducts, andmaintaining anecessary
levelofstocks forthestability ofthemarket.
Additionally, theBoard canbecome engaged inexporting andimporting through international
tenders. Indoing so,theBoard enjoys nospecial privileges different thanthose oftheprivate sector,
andissubject tothesame conditions asanyother private sector company.
Furthermore, therelevant Ministries andrelated government agencies arecurrently conducting
astudy which mayleadintheforeseeable future tothecurtailment oreventermination oftheexclusive
monopoly rights andprivileges oftheState Monopolies forspirits andbeverages containing alcohol
andethyl alcohol.
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