Raw milk sold at weekly bazaars and directly from small producers. Formal commercial retail requires pasteurization under the Turkish Food Codex, but farm-direct and market sales are traditional and widely tolerated.
Raw milk (çiğ süt) is sold at weekly markets (pazar) and directly from small producers throughout Turkey, a deeply embedded rural tradition. Turkey's Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (Tarım ve Orman Bakanlığı) regulates food safety through the Turkish Food Codex (Türk Gıda Kodeksi), including Communiqué No. 2019/24 on Raw Milk and Heat-Treated Drinking Milk (Çiğ Süt ve Isıl İşlem Görmüş İçme Sütleri Tebliği). The Codex establishes microbiological and quality standards for raw milk primarily in the context of processing; formal commercial retail of raw milk requires pasteurization.
Farm-direct and market sales by small producers operate informally and are widely tolerated across the country, particularly in rural areas. Some municipalities have piloted certified raw milk kiosks. Turkey is an EU accession candidate and its food safety framework is progressively aligned with EU standards, though EU Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 does not apply directly.
Official government documents and legal resources for Turkey
Turkish Food Codex Communiqué No. 2019/24 on Raw Milk and Heat-Treated Drinking Milk. Sets microbiological and quality standards for raw milk under the authority of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
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