Protection of customers rights and customer unions Turkey and European Union

The term "consumer" is defined in the following in one of the publications of the state planning organization. "The consumer refers to every individual, institution and the family who either purchases final goods and services to meet their economic, social and cultural requirements or manufacture goods for their own consumption, refraing from any exchange of goods. "Therefore every person living in a society can be considered to be a consumer. The implementations aiming to protect the "identity of consumers" coming together under a common denominator first began in 15 century in Europe. The first applications in this field in our country date back to the Ottoman era. Unjust treatments of the consumers in terms of price, quality and safety in connection with the goods and services began to intensify together with the global industrialization. This has brought the necessity of emphasizing the protection of the consumers into the agenda. This need of protection the rights of consumers was first propounded by U.S.A. president John F. Kennedy in 1962. These rights were broadened to cover 5 rights in 1975 in E.U. and adopted by the official organs. Finally the rights were all the more broadened to cover the universally endorsed eight more rights in 1986, announced by the International Organization of Consumer Unions. "The law about the protection of the consumers no: 4077", worked out since 1970 went into effect on September 1995 in Turkey within the framework of the compliance of the regulations, necessitated by the Customs Union adapted by Turkey. Despite the loopholes in the laws and infrastructural deficiencies; an all- compassing law-against the presence of the laws, by laws and regulations which entitle numerous institutions and organizations to be responsible and autorized on the T.C. YÜKSEKÖ?RETİM IWWli DOKÜMANTASYON MERKEZİprotection of consumers-continues to be a compact and more regular guide in many instances. There are departments in many organizations and institutions, aiming to protect the rights of consumers in Turkey. Besides there are also civil organizations, founded by the consumers. However these organization of the consumers has not become widespread due to insufficient number of members and financial difficulties. The consumer organizations are widespread in the member countries of the E.U. and the states contributes to these organizations financially to make them widespread and viable. All the individual have missions to fulfil to accomplish the protection of the consumers. The thinks to be done at these stage when the regulations worked out for long years have been finalized are: Showing more interest and dare and organizational capability on the part of the consumers; making consumers conscientious; and enlightened and making their efforts more widespread on the part of the institutions and organizations and carrying out the implementations and inspections more regularly to make the revelant laws viable and effective on the part of the state and working towards producing the high-quality-environment-friendly goods to meet the requirements of the consumers on the part of the business enterprises.