Türkiye’s Ministry of Industry and Technology has published a new Machinery Safety Regulation in the Official Gazette of 16 October 2026. The rules align Turkish law with EU Machinery Regulation 2023/1230 and apply to machine manufacturers, importers and distributors, as well as to industrial companies that make substantial modifications to the machines they run.
Some institutional provisions, the rules on conformity assessment bodies and the transitional clauses took effect on publication. Most of the core obligations on how machines are designed, built and placed on the market will apply from 20 January 2027, when the previous Machinery Safety Regulation dating from 2009 will be repealed.
What is changing?
One of the headline changes concerns modifications to existing equipment. Anyone, whether a person or a company, who makes a substantial modification to a machine already on the market or in service will be treated as its manufacturer. Routine maintenance, repairs and part replacements do not count. The test is whether the change was not foreseen by the original manufacturer and either creates a new hazard or increases an existing risk. A company making such a change will have to show that the machine still meets the safety requirements and carry out the relevant conformity assessment.
- Software and digital safety: Automation systems, software-controlled machines and AI-supported safety functions are explicitly covered. Safety functions must be protected against digital interference, although a separate cybersecurity certificate is not required for every machine.
- Digital instructions: Manuals may be supplied digitally, but users must be able to download and print them, and they must stay available online for the expected life of the product and for at least 10 years after it is placed on the market. If a buyer asks for a paper copy at the time of purchase, the manufacturer must provide it free of charge within one month.
- Importers and sellers: Importers must check that conformity assessment has been carried out, that technical documentation exists and that CE marking is present where required. Sellers must confirm that the necessary safety documents and Turkish-language instructions are in place.
Non-compliant products can be kept off the market, withdrawn or recalled, and breaches can lead to administrative sanctions under Law No. 7223 on Product Safety and Technical Regulations.
What about machines already in use?
The regulation does not require existing machines to be replaced. Products placed on the market in line with the old rules before 20 January 2027 may remain on the market, and EC type-examination certificates and approvals issued under the previous regime stay valid until they expire. Market surveillance provisions of the new regulation can still be applied to products that are risky or non-compliant.
Why it matters for textile and garment producers
The rules are not limited to any one industry; they cover any equipment that falls under the definition of a machine. That makes the timeline relevant for textile and garment companies that run machinery on their lines, import equipment or adapt what they already have. Before 20 January 2027, it is worth:
- asking suppliers of new or imported machines for CE marking, a declaration of conformity and Turkish-language instructions,
- reviewing past or planned modifications to existing machines with a risk assessment to see whether they qualify as substantial,
- documenting safety functions and update procedures on software-controlled equipment.
This article was summarised and commented on by the LTS Frekans editorial team, drawing on the source article.
