New 25–30% Extra Tax on Imported Cars: Prices in Turkey Rising by Up to 500,000 TL

The 25–30% extra tax applied to imported cars in Turkey took effect today. The regulation doesn't cover EU countries and countries with a Free Trade Agreement. However, it creates a serious cost increase for vehicles coming from countries like Japan, South Korea, China and Thailand. Since the extra tax also affects the Special Consumption Tax (ÖTV) and VAT, the real price increase will be felt between 250,000 TL and 500,000 TL. This increase directly pushes up prices especially for Japanese-origin vehicles like Honda, Toyota, Lexus, Subaru and Nissan. Certain models from some brands will now either be sold at much higher prices or may not be brought to Turkey at all. Domestic production and EU-origin vehicles gain a competitive advantage in this situation. But from a realistic point of view: this decision brings higher prices for consumers, more cost for importers, and a contraction in the market in the short term. While the government's aim is to “support domestic production,” the concrete result right now is that vehicle access becomes harder for citizens. For those planning to buy a car, the country of origin has now become a much more critical decision criterion.