Is a safety data sheet mandatory in Turkey? The rules after 2024

A safety data sheet — SDS internationally, "Güvenlik Bilgi Formu" (GBF) in Turkish, formerly MSDS — is the "identity and instructions for use" of a chemical product. In Turkey the rules for this document changed significantly in 2024, and sheets drawn up under the old regulation are still circulating in the market. This article sets out the current position — a point that matters especially to foreign manufacturers, whose English SDS is a starting point but not a finished Turkish document.

1. Is an SDS mandatory, and who must provide it?

Yes, it is mandatory. If a substance or mixture is classified as hazardous under the SEA Regulation (the Turkish Regulation on Classification, Labelling and Packaging of Substances and Mixtures; Official Gazette No. 28848 (repeated), 11 December 2013), the supplier must provide the safety data sheet when supplying the product to a professional buyer.

The obligation applies to every actor in the supply chain: manufacturer, importer and distributor. "We only sell it, we don't make it" does not remove the obligation. The sheet is provided to the buyer free of charge, on paper or electronically.

2. What changed on 1 January 2024?

For many years SDSs were prepared under the Regulation on Safety Data Sheets for Hazardous Substances and Mixtures, published in Official Gazette No. 29204 of 13 December 2014. That regulation ceased to apply on 31 December 2023.

From 1 January 2024 safety data sheets are prepared under the Annex-2 provisions of the KKDİK Regulation. There are two practical consequences:

• The author changed. The former "safety data sheet author" title was replaced by the Chemical Assessment Specialist (KDU) — a person who has completed the training defined in KKDİK Annex-18 and passed the examination of an authorised certification body.
• The content deepened. The Annex-2 format is aligned with REACH Annex II; headings such as exposure scenarios, identified uses and reference to the KKDİK registration number come to the fore.

If the header of a sheet in your possession still cites the "Regulation No. 29204 of 13/12/2014", that sheet is out of date.

3. The 16 sections of a safety data sheet

The format is the same as the international GHS standard and the order of the sections cannot be changed:

4. Language: can I use my foreign SDS as it is?

No. The safety data sheet for a product placed on the Turkish market is prepared in Turkish. The English SDS from the foreign manufacturer is a good source, but it cannot be used directly — and it is usually written under EU legislation, so sections such as 8, 13, 14 and 15 have to be adapted to Turkish rules.

In practice the correct approach is not to "translate" the foreign SDS but to take it as a source document and re-draft it under Turkish legislation. Translation errors are the single most common non-compliance item in this field.

5. When is an SDS updated?

A safety data sheet does not expire, but it is a "living" document. Typical triggers for an update:

• a change in the hazard classification of the substance,
• the emergence of new risk management measures,
• an authorisation or restriction being introduced for the substance,
• completion of the KKDİK registration and the registration number being added to the sheet,
• a change in the formulation.

The rules require the sheet to be updated without delay when new information is obtained, and the updated version to be sent to all buyers who purchased the product in the preceding 12 months. So updating is not just changing a file — it also creates a notification obligation to the customer.

6. An SDS and a label are not the same thing

A frequent confusion: the safety data sheet is ready, but the package label is inconsistent with it. The label is prepared under the SEA Regulation and carries at least: supplier information, product identifier, hazard pictograms, signal word (Danger / Warning), hazard statements (H) and precautionary statements (P), and nominal quantity.

The SDS and the label must be consistent with each other. The non-compliance an inspector spots fastest is a mismatch between Section 2 of the SDS and the H statements on the package.

7. The link between the SDS and KKDİK registration

They are separate obligations but they feed one another. The registration number of a substance whose KKDİK registration is complete is entered in Section 1 of the safety data sheet; at 10 t/year and above, the exposure scenarios in the chemical safety report are attached to the sheet.

So the 2026 registration timeline directly affects your SDSs. For the KKDİK registration process: How to register under KKDİK · For the upcoming date: 30 September 2026.

Frequently asked questions

This article is for general information; for your company's specific situation the official regulation text and Ministry announcements should be relied on. Last updated: 22 July 2026.